


Two Orphans

by MordecaiQ



Category: The Last of Us
Genre: AU, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-27
Updated: 2015-06-10
Packaged: 2018-04-01 14:16:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 43
Words: 107,477
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4022974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MordecaiQ/pseuds/MordecaiQ
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A dark and gritty story set in an AU. Two orphans, Ellie and Riley, meet through unfortunate circumstances at an orphanage and quickly become best friends. Soon after though, a new enthusiastic caretaker takes the reigns of the building. The girls realize something is off about him and are forced to make a decision that will greatly affect their lives. Will be ElliexRiley.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Where it Starts

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is a story I've already posted over at fanfiction.net, but I wanted to put it here as well in case there are some people who don't visit both. You're also free to read it there should you wish (https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11175403/1/Two-Orphans). If you've already read or seen it, hello again! For those who haven't, there won't be any differences, except for maybe some author notes. So, with that said, here we go!  
> ~~  
> a/n: So I just want to lay out what this story is and what's going to happen with it. In essence it's going to be a story driven drama about the two girls set in a modern AU. Noteworthy characters from the game will pop up here and there, but perhaps not to the importance as expected. I say this because the girls are by far the main focus, which doesn't leave a whole lot of room for story development for the others.
> 
> This will be, as noted in the description, an ElliexRiley (Rellie should you prefer) story. There's a bit of story/relationship building to get to that point, so bare with me, but that aspect will be a heavy focus for the second half of the story. The first four chapters are environment-building and back story, with the main story arc beginning a little after that.
> 
> Okay, enough rambling. Thank you to whoever is willing to give this a shot. I know it can be hard to commit to a story set in an AU, but I put in quite a lot of time to get it to the quality it is, so I believe it is definitely worth it. The only warning I have to give is that there is an abundance of language.

1;

The time was late, about a quarter to midnight, and the automatic sliding glass door leading outside was pitch black. The moonless night prevented him from seeing even just a short distance out into the world. The only light able to be seen was a dim speck from one of the parking lot lamps.

The precinct that he manned the front desk for was moving at a slow pace. A couple people here and there, but at this time it was rare for much foot traffic, which was preferred as it meant that few problems warranted police action. Quiet conversations between officers were taking place throughout the room causing a low, but relaxing, droning noise. The occasional phone ringing from somewhere in the offices behind him was distracting to a degree, but he was able to ignore most of it.

As he was settling into his chair and preparing for an uneventful evening, he suddenly found himself watching in interest as a dazed looking woman came partially staggering in through the glass door with a small child next to her. She looked around for a moment before catching the man's eyes and walking up to his small desk in the middle of the entrance room. Her hair was a dark brown, her left eye was bruised, and she had a minor smell of alcohol on her breath.

"Yes, hi, um… my name is Chloe Abel." The hand she didn't have resting on his desk was mildly shaking, as was her voice. "I want to… need to, get a, um, restraining order? On my boyfriend."

Her tone was conflicting with her words and caused some confusion. "Was that a question, ma'am?"

"No, it's… I'm sorry, it wasn't. It was a, um, request. To make one, or get one. On him. Please."

He examined her as she spoke, finding her perpetual wide-eyed way of speaking peculiar. He wasn't sure if that was normal or had relevance with why she was standing in front of him. He leaned forward from his chair, causing it to creak from the shift in weight, and looked over the edge of his counter. He saw a young girl clinging to the back of the woman's legs, her face half hidden and peering back out at the officer. She was wearing some worn looking jeans and an equally ragged t-shirt. She had shoulder length hair that was the same color as the woman's, who he presumed was the mother. He guessed she was probably five or, at most, six years old.

He leaned back and regained eye contact with the woman. "I'm sorry ma'am, but in order to request a restraining order you'll need to speak with the city courts. The most I can do right now is give you information for the process itself, but you'll still need to visit them tomorrow in order to legally obtain one."

"I see." She scratched the back of her head nervously. "Well, thanks anyway." She turned around and started walking away with the young girl still holding on.

He sighed before motioning her back over. "Hold on."

He had dealt with a lot of the outside world's problems working in the building. And though seeing what people can do to each other day after day was difficult to handle, working the job as long as he had caused him to become desensitized to it all to an extent. But whenever a child was involved the impact of the situation hit him just as hard as it did on his first day.

"…yes?"

"I may not be able to help you out with what you specifically want tonight, but if you'd like you can press charges for the time being. It's not a restraining order, but if you do, and should an officer spot your boyfriend's car, they could bring him in. Up to you."

The woman straightened her posture and raised her head as she looked back at him. She nodded and walked back over to his desk.

"Okay. We should… let's do that."

The officer nodded back and continued. "Alright, I'll go ahead and start the process. If you'd like I can suggest a nearby motel that you can stay in for the night in case you're currently living with him."

"I am… and that sounds good."

"It's not much, but at least you and your daughter can be safe in an unknown location. And when the courts open in the morning you can head directly over there to fill out the paperwork."

The woman shifted her eyes slightly back and forth, still clearly nervous, but then quickly gave another nod. "Where is it?"

After finishing up the report and then giving the woman directions, he watched as she headed out the door in a seemingly less nervous state than just minutes earlier. As they disappeared into the black night and out of his sight, he began unintentionally tapping his pencil against his counter out of concern.

Chloe and the young girl pulled out of the department's parking lot and drove west along the street as per the officer's instructions. The car's headlights were their only source of visibility on the pitch black night, but after five miles a lighted sign appeared on the horizon that steadily grew taller as they approached. It displayed the words 'Night Light Motel' in large letters with a small vacancy sign below.

She parked the car just outside the office's doors and left the car running while she went in. A few minutes later she came out with a key and pulled the car around to a spot in front of the assigned room. She got out, hurried over to the room, and unlocked it, only to turn around and spot the girl still sitting in the car.

"Riley, come on! Let's get inside."

The girl hopped out of the car and skipped over to the mother who was waiting just on the inside of the room. Chloe looked around before running out to the car to close the girl's door. She came back in, dead bolted the door, and closed the curtains. She sat down on the single bed in the room with a slight sense of relief and patted the spot next to her.

"Riley, get away from there. Come sit next to me." The girl listened and sat herself on the bed and started kicking her feet against it. "We're going to be here just for the night, okay?"

The girl focused on the door for a second before turning to the mother and staring at her innocently. "I miss Mr. Panda."

She sighed and put an arm around her, pulling her into her side. "I know sweetie. I'm sure Mr. Panda misses you too, but you'll get to see him tomorrow." She could hear that her own words came out unsteadily, likely not reassuring the girl. "Now hop in bed, we've got to get up early."

"Okay…" She sounded disappointed but listened anyways and crawled herself along the bed to the side nearest the wall.

Chloe took her shoes off and rested them at the foot of the bed. She then slightly lifted her shirt and un-holstered a small pistol that she kept hidden within her waistband, placing it on the nightstand next to her. She laid on the bed on her side and watched the door carefully, intentionally keeping herself between Riley and it. Their day had been long and she was slowly losing the fight to exhaustion, eventually giving in.

"Chloe! I know you're in there! Open the damn door!" The words that penetrated the room were almost completely slurred together, though still somehow coherent.

Her eyes shot open and stared out into the black room. "Shit!"

She glanced over at the clock sitting on the nightstand which read nearly a quarter to four in the morning. She immediately slid herself out of bed, grabbed the gun off the nightstand, and pointed it at the middle of the door. Her hands were shaking as she repeatedly alternated between rubbing the sleep from her eyes and keeping her aim steady.

"Riley, come here sweetheart." The girl sleepily fell out of bed and stood next to her with her eyes half closed. "I'm gonna need you to go into the bathroom and stay there. Don't come out until I tell you, okay?"

Riley nodded her head and confusedly walked into the bathroom and sat in the corner with her knees pulled up to her chin.

With the door now closed, Chloe pulled the phone out of her pocket and dialed 911.

"Chloe! Get out here now!"

The phone clicked and she heard the operator on the other side of the line ask her for the emergency.

"There's someone outside my motel room and they're trying to break in. Please get-"

A repeated series of blows on the door from the outside sent a loud tremor through the room.

"Mommy!"

"Stay in there, Riley!" She put the phone back to her ear. "Please get someone here now! I'm staying in room thirteen at the 'Night Light' motel." She hung the phone up after receiving confirmation and went back to concentrating her gun on the door.

After a few minutes of unrelenting pounding and yelling, the room was suddenly flooded in a pattern of flashing blue and red lights. She cautiously relaxed her grip when the pounding suddenly stopped. She warily walked herself over to the window and slid a finger between the curtains to peer out. She spotted a police cruiser parked diagonally out in front of her room with its officer standing next to it. His hand was laid on the side of his holster and the other extended out towards her door.

The officer's voice outside was distinct and commanding. "Sir, I'm going to need to you move away from the door and come talk to me."

The man at the door stopped and bowed his head for a moment before slowly turning and staring down the officer. "No offense, officer, but this doesn't involve you. I'm just here to… talk to my girlfriend."

The officer noticed, as the man turned, a glint off of something metal in his hand. He tensed up and immediately pulled his gun from its holster, aiming it directly at him and becoming severe in his commands.

"Drop the knife and get on the ground, right now!"

The man took a staggered step forward and continued on as though he didn't hear anything. "Like I said, officer, this doesn't involve you. So just, go… go ahead and get back in your car and I'll forget this ever happened. How's that sound?"

"Last time, drop the knife and get on the ground! I'm not going to warn you again!" The officer took one step back and quickly scanned the area, spotting several opened doors with curious eyes within their gaps.

The man's face shifted from smug to angry in a split second. "Now that's just not very nice. You see, when someone offers you-"

Before he finished his sentence he took a few fast steps toward the officer who broke the night's silence with three echoing cracks. The man hit the ground and slid a few feet along the loose asphalt of the parking lot, soon leaving a pool of blood where he lay.

The officer's hands were slightly shaking as he eased the gun back into his holster and pressed the switch on his radio set. "I have a 10-53 here at the 'Night Light' motel."

He took a deep breath after the voice over the radio confirmed his request. He slowly looked around at the L shaped two story motel as the red and blue lights of his car lit up its walls. Several of the rooms now had their own lights switched on with their own nervous onlookers within their windows. He walked over to the man on the ground and kicked away the knife that was lying within reach of his hand. He knelt over and pressed his fingers against his neck and found no pulse.

He looked back up and noticed a mostly empty window frame that belonged to the room the man was banging on, and that now had a pool of broken glass densely scattered on the ground in front of it. He walked past the man on the ground and over toward the window and shone his flashlight throughout the dark room. Its beam revealed a woman laying against the far wall with her head slumped forward.

"…oh shit." He found his breath suddenly labored.

He walked through the glass, each step emitting a crunch, and carefully stepped over the window frame that was now laden with jagged pieces. He moved more cautiously towards the woman after he had spotted a gun lying on the ground next to her. She had dark brown hair and a white tank top that was saturated with blood, the source of it near the center of her chest. He tilted his head to the side and held the button.

"I also have a 901, civilian shot. Requesting immediate medical assistance."

He lost himself in a daze for a moment while taking in the aftermath he unintentionally created. His trance was broken when he heard muffled sobbing coming from behind the door next to him.

He shook his head before reaching for its handle and slowly pulling it toward him. His heart sank immediately when he illuminated a small girl staring back at him with her knees tightly pulled in and tears soaking her cheeks. He glanced back at the other woman and then back to the girl.

Though his voice shaking, he spoke with the softest voice he could manage. "What's your name, sweetie?"

She looked him over slowly and wiped one of her cheeks with a sniffle. "…Riley."

"Hi, Riley, my name is Andrew. I'm a police officer. I'd like to bring you outside where it's much nicer than this stinky ol' bathroom. Is that okay?"

She barely managed to nod her head.

"Okay then. Come on."

He held her hand and slowly walked her out of the motel room while making sure to keep himself between the girl and the woman lying on the ground, as well as the man outside. They sat and waited on the curb away from the room for several minutes before other flashing lights eventually joined the ones from his own cruiser.

Separate ambulances took away the two bodies that had been covered in a black plastic. One of the paramedics did a quick analysis on the small girl before putting a blanket around her and telling the officer she was physically fine. The ambulances eventually drove off, leaving the officer to take care of the girl.

He put her in the back of his car and drove them back to the same precinct where she and Chloe had been just hours earlier looking for help. The officer at the desk watched in dismay as Andrew and the same little girl walked in together without the mother.

They walked passed him and into one of the offices where a female officer was already waiting, there to comfort Riley the best she could.

Andrew took a spot behind his computer and began looking through the department's system for information on the name 'Chloe Abel.' Reading through the results it became quickly apparent that, aside from her own daughter, she had no real family, immediate or distant. He sighed and began the paperwork.


	2. Chapter 2

2;

"Ellie! Come on, let's go! We're going to be late!"

Ellie's room wasn't decorated in a way typical of a teenage girl's. There were no cliché pink accents, magazine cut outs, or frilly rug. It was perpetually free of clutter and more closely resembled that of a hotel room complete with bland beige walls. Her bed was always made and even a few generic landscape pictures hung lazily from the walls. She had few of her own possessions placed around, but otherwise her room could be easily mistaken as vacant. She didn't quite understand the lifestyle, but was slowly accustoming herself with it.

She was standing in the bathroom and messing with her reddish-brown brown hair when she heard the muffled call from downstairs. She sighed before grabbing her shoes and then headed out of her room. She walked the long hallway and took a left at the stairs and hurried down, stopping at the open front door. Through the door's frame she could see the sun's last rays disappearing over the horizon. They colored the drizzling storm butts overhead a painting-like combination of oranges and purples, leaving the sky blacker every second as it slowly dipped down.

"About time. The weather looks like it's going to get worse and your teachers aren't going to be happy if we show up late." She sighed as she observed the girl's neutral face. "You don't care do you?"

"Not a bit."

"Well I do. Here, let me look at you." Ellen leaned forward to get on an even level with Ellie. She reached forward and tucked some stray hairs behind the girl's ear with a smile. "Your freckles are adorable."

"Oh my god. Can we go now?"

"Okay, okay. Let's get in the car."

ooOoo

Ellie's birth parents, Anna her mother, father unknown, gave her up shortly after she was born. Before she came along they lived day to day in perpetual anxiety about where or even how they'd be able to get their next fix. They weren't bad people, but they made a series of poor choices that led to them being unfit to care themselves, let alone a new child.

The state held all of the records concerning Ellie's parents, of which were given in brief to her foster parents who agreed between themselves to not tell her. The decision suited Ellie fine since they weren't a part of her life and she had no interest in finding out why they gave her up. They could be living in a mansion, homeless addicts, or dead in a ditch off the side of the road for all she cared.

When the mother made the ultimate decision to drop her new daughter off at the nearest hospital, Ellie instantly became absorbed into the long list of faceless children belonging to the foster care system. For her entire early life she would live in an orphanage, the only place that she could even remotely call home.

The building itself was built in the late 1700s in a colonial architectural style. The entire exterior was built up from a bright red brick, which acted as insulation against the extremes of weather, and was accented with white decorative pieces that were clearly worn away from time. The interior was laid out on two floors. The first was the ground floor which housed the kids' beds, an office for the caretaker of the building, a sleeping quarter for a staff member, and the great room which served as an entertainment area and cafeteria for the orphans.

The second floor was the basement which mainly served as storage for the building. It housed the food supply as well as miscellaneous objects and repair items.

The sleeping quarters on the ground floor was laid out in a pattern not unlike what would be found in the overflow room at a prison. The bunk beds were lined up in a precise pattern of rows and columns in order to maximize the number of orphans capable of living in the building at any given time.

The orphanage itself was proudly named 'Gateway Orphanage' by its original caretaker in order to emphasize the idea that this was just a stepping stone to something greater. The irony, however, was not lost on the kids as they knew that by the time they turned eighteen they would be kicked out and most likely end up on the streets fending for themselves.

As the years went by, Ellie grew into a shy child, making friends hesitantly and cautiously whenever presented the rare opportunity. The idea of friendship was made worse due to the constantly possibility of being fostered out, for both her and potential friends, and suddenly being unable to see them again.

The staff at the orphanage was the closest thing she could consider her family. She always counted on seeing them every morning and every day without worry of disappearance, something that she used as a constant source of stability in her life. It also helped stave away the feeling of discouragement and hopelessness that frequently arose from her inability to be accepted.

She, seemingly to her, had countless interviews with different families all looking to either foster or adopt children from the orphanage. They were always courteous and polite to her, asking whatever questions they had, and then send her on her way so they could have the same conversations with other children. Initially she was hopeful and confident each time she left the room, but time wore heavily on her outlook. As the years went by she learned to not have any expectations, changing her from an optimist into a pessimist.

Many years later she turned thirteen, a teenager and a milestone for most children. Though at the orphanage, little resources were expended on deemed trivial occasions like birthdays. A couple members from the staff and a few children gathered around to sing the traditional happy birthday song and made her a small cake topped with a lit candle.

At the end of that month she had another meeting set up with a couple in their mid-thirties that was looking for someone older like herself. She prevented herself from feeling hopeful and went in to talk with them with a strained smile. It was the standard round of questions she's answered a hundred times before, was thanked for her time, and sent on her way.

However, this time was different and within a few months she was packing up her clothes and stuffing them into a travel bag. She zipped it up and walked through the front door she thought she'd never get the opportunity to permanently leave through.

With a mild form of an emotion she hadn't felt in a long time she hugged her new parents who were waiting just outside. Thomas, the husband, grabbed the bag from her and the three of them walked back to the car waiting nearby.

Ellen, the wife, was grinning from ear to ear the entire time. "I'm so excited to finally have a daughter. We're going to do so many things together. Just us girls."

Ellie was still caught up in the whirlwind and could only manage to return a faint smile.

All three got into the car, Thomas and Ellen in the front with Ellie in the back, and then shut their doors. Ellen turned the ignition and pulled out of the parking lot. Ellie turned around in her seat and watched through the back window as the building that had been her home for the last thirteen years, her entire life, slowly began to shrink into the distance.

"Happy to be leaving, Ellie?" He asked out of anticipation of an expected answer.

She didn't say anything, she couldn't. Watching the building that had left her so emotionally empty vanish into the distance left her speechless.

ooOoo

The three of them stood idly under the porch's awning with the door locked behind them. They prepared themselves against the drizzle the blanketing storm butts were releasing, of which showed no signs of waning in any capacity.

"Ready?"

"Can't we just get the umbrella?"

"Too late, let's go!" Thomas laughed as he hit the unlock button for the car and ran towards it with his head down.

The other two were caught off guard and were soon, too, running toward it with their hands over their heads. They threw open the doors and jumped in, bringing their now irritated attitudes with them. The girls managed to simultaneously groan at the condition the rain left their hair.

Ellen tilted her head to the left and stuck out a hand behind her. "Give me the comb would you, Ellie? I might be able to salvage something here."

"Hold up, me first."

Ellen let her head hit the back of the seat with a sigh prompting Thomas to intervene in his own way.

"You both still look lovely, try not to worry about it so much for tonight."

"Says the man who doesn't even have to try."

He rolled his eyes and started up the car.

They were nearly halfway to their destination after ten minutes of driving and the storm butts had noticeably picked up in strength. The streets became slick and the traffic was moving along at about half of its normal pace. The watery surface did, however, present itself stunningly by reflecting the city lights surrounding them.

Thomas grunted and put the wiper setting to nearly their highest level in hopes of gathering what little vision he could out of the windshield. "Thirty percent chance of rain my ass. Look at this, it's a damn storm."

Ellen agreed and turned around to face Ellie who was staring intently out the side window. "So... what can we expect to hear from your teachers tonight? How amazing, smart, and wonderful you are?" She mockingly grinned at her.

Ellie shook her head with her own smile. "I doubt that."

She wasn't sure what they would say, but she knew it wouldn't be about her grades as she was doing fine. And aside from personally not liking the other students nor most of her teachers, she never gave them any reason to dislike her.

A short time later the car pulled into the parking lot of Ellie's middle school, 'Mary Anning Academy,' and found a spot near the center. It was packed with the cars of other parents who were all in mixed states of mind. Some were anxious about their children's performance review, some excited, like Ellen, and others annoyed to be here on their own time.

Through the water streaming down their windows they could see a large white banner hanging above the main entryway into the school that read 'Parent-Teacher Conference Tonight.'

"We should've brought an umbrella." Thomas spoke out without thinking.

Ellen shot him a look of annoyance. "No shit."

"We'll be fine, we just have to move quickly."

"Again, says the man."

He groaned and leaned himself away from the seat. "Fine, you can use my coat to cover your precious hair if you want."

Ellen was about to retaliate when a voice from behind her cut her off. "What about me? What am I going to do?"

He turned around to look at Ellie and immediately smiled. "Do me a favor would ya? Reach behind your head and tell me what you find."

She looked confused but followed his order and quickly found the top of a hood from the jacket she was wearing. "Don't say it."

"Dork."

"Come on you two. We're late as it is."

Ellie pulled the hood over her head and tugged on its strings tightly. Thomas finished taking off the coat he was wearing and passed it to Ellen who promptly positioned it over her head with both hands. He peered out through the windshield again and spotted scattered groups of people still shuffling in through the main doors, no doubt made late by the weather as well.

He looked around at the two girls and opened up his door. "Alright, let's go."


	3. Chapter 3

3;

The woman knelt down and portrayed a sympathetic smile.

"Hi Riley, welcome to your new home. My name is Ms. Hammond, but you can call me Sara if you'd like. You'll be living here with our little family for a while until we can find you a nice loving family of your own to care for you. Until then, there are plenty of other children here your age to make friends with if you'd like."

Riley slowly looked around the small room, observing everything in it and paying no attention to the woman speaking in front of her.

Sara put a hand on the girl's shoulder hoping to get her to focus. "I know this is a big change for you and that you probably want to be back home right now, but there are people here who care about you and will look after you. They'll try their best to make sure you're happy, but you'll have to make an effort too, okay?"

Sara knew that Riley, like almost all the children, would have a hard time acclimating to the dramatic change in her life, and that being forcefully thrust into an entirely foreign environment would be stressful on anyone, especially someone as young as her.

She looked up at the man standing near the doorway. "Ron, would you take her upstairs to her room and make sure she gets settled in?"

"Of course. Come on, Riley." He held out a hand which she simply stared at. "Right… well let's go."

The building that was now her new home was a relatively modern orphanage that lacked any real character. It was built up in two levels in the shape of a horseshoe, the exterior nearly texture-less and painted a slightly off-white color. The ends of the horseshoe each had two medium sized windows on the upper floor and a large bay window on the bottom, the rest of the building with a repeating pattern of smaller windows.

The pathway that led to the front entrance was lined with small bushes on either side and ended with a few small stairs leading up to the main entrance. Just on the inside a single staircase to the right of the door stretched itself upwards toward the second floor complete with an off white railing. Immediately beyond the staircase on the ground floor sprawled the great room where the children could gather to play whatever games were available or simply read books.

Hallways on both floors branched left and right, each containing a series of bedrooms for the building, and each one of those containing four bunk beds laid out in a two by two pattern. The back left corner of the building housed the small kitchen and a couple of the offices for the workers, of which at least one was always present.

Ron walked toward the front door and turned around to walk up the stairs, peering over the railing to make sure the girl was still following him. He took a right down the hallway and stopped at the doorway to a room on the left side about halfway down. He held out a hand and gestured toward it.

"Here you are Riley. This is where you'll be staying."

He followed her in and pointed out parts of it. "The upper half of that bunk bed is all yours, won't that be fun?" He continued after more silence and a quick sigh. "Your clothes will be in those shelves there. The bathroom is out this door and to the left, all the way to the end."

Riley slowly walked past him and sat on the bottom bed of her bunk and looked out the door. "I'm hungry."

Ron perked up at the first words he's heard from her yet. "Of course, the kitchen is downstairs. It serves food three times a day, but we'll yell it out in case you forget. They serve snacks too, so if you head down they'll give you something."

He walked towards the door where the girl was again staring at silently and turned back to face her. "If you ever need anything or have any questions, just ask. We're always around. Also try to make some friends. There are a lot of nice kids here who I'm sure would love to play with you." He smiled before leaving the room and heading back down the hallway.

ooOoo

Ron was standing in front of Ms. Hammond's desk inside of her office while she herself alertly stood behind it.

"It's been five weeks, Sara."

"I know, Ron."

"She refuses to play with, let alone even talk to, any of the other children. And I'm pretty sure she hates us."

"I'm sure it's just a distrust of authority figures."

"Still, we practically have to force her to eat and drink. She's healthy, but this is a lot of work."

"She's been through a lot Ron, we just need to give her time."

She took a seat behind the desk in her light brown leather chair. The window directly behind her was letting in a flood of light which caused Ron to suddenly see her only as a silhouette.

"I know she has, but so have most of the other children in here. There's even a few others who have been through something similar as her who are adapting better."

"You can't compare the progresses of children to each other. They're all different and they all improve at their own rate in their own way. It's clear that she's not… handling it as well as most of the others, but with time she'll get there." She cleared her throat and leaned forward slightly. "I understand your concern, but we need to be patient. Is there anything else?"

He straightened himself back up and shook his head. "No. That's all."

ooOoo

The cramped room they were sitting in housed a single large window on one side wall that faced out toward the main area, and a small painting of generic flowers on the other wall. The floor was lined with hardwood which, while attractive, amplified even the slightest of noises in the room.

Sara was sitting in a chair next to Riley, both of whom were facing toward a smiling man and woman in another pair of chairs opposite them. She spoke up with the most upbeat personality she could.

"Lastly, Riley here actually just had her 9th birthday about a week ago. Wasn't it fun?"

"Wonderful." The sarcasm in her tone was thick, causing Sara to nervously laugh.

The man smiled and let it slide. "I'm glad to hear it." His gaze moved back up to Sara, who clearly looked uncomfortable, and quickly back down at the girl. "It was very nice to meet you, Riley. If you don't mind, we'd like to speak with Ms. Hammond alone for a little bit. Just to see where we go from here."

Riley simply nodded, hopped off her chair, and casually walked out of the room.

Sara looked nervously back and forth between the two. "So, what do you think?"

The man watched through the window as Riley disappeared out into the great room area. "She's not the most talkative little thing, is she?"

The woman with him laughed off the girl's attitude. "No, not really. But she seems sweet."

Sara quickly interjected. "Oh, she absolutely is! She's had rough childhood, as have most of the kids here, but she's much doing better than when she first arrived."

"That's good." The couple looked at each other and talked amongst themselves.

"So?"

The man smiled. "I like her."

The woman smiled back. "I do too."

"We're really doing this?"

"I think we are."

They both turned back toward Sara with enthusiastic grins. "Okay. We'd love for Riley to come home with us."

Sara's face lit up in surprise. "That's fantastic! I'll get the process finished up and, if you'd like, you can go tell her. Or wait until everything is finalized which will take some time."

"We'll tell her now. We can't wait."

A few months later after their initial meeting, Riley was in her room with Ron packing what little possessions she owned into a small bag. He followed her downstairs and out into the courtyard where her new foster parents were waiting. She greeted them with a forced smile and an uncomfortable side hug, then kept walking to the car and sat herself inside and waited.

ooOoo

"Damn it, Riley! This is the second family that you've gotten yourself kicked out of this year alone. Not to mention the others you've ruined your chances with over the last five years. I get that you're pissed off and that you have trust issues, I really do, but you can't take it out on these people who just want to take care of you."

"I don't give a shit about what they want and I didn't ask to be taken care of. I'm fine on my own and I don't need these people thinking that that they can be my family! How could they be so stupid to think that?"

"Because they don't care you're not their real daughter, Riley, and you shouldn't either!"

"Fuck them!"

Riley slammed the door on the way out of the cramped room, rattling the small painting of flowers off of its nail and onto the floor. The sound of shattering glass knocked Sara out of her adrenaline-fueled state. She took several deep breaths to control her pulse before grabbing a small dust bin from the corner and picking up the pieces of broken glass littering the floor.

Riley was now a teenager and her appearance matched her chaotic mixture of emotions. The clothes she worse were mostly black and ragged, purchased from nearby thrift stores with what little money she earned doing jobs around the orphanage. She let her hair grow out past her shoulders and was parted to one side, intentionally showing of the other half that had been shaved down to little more than stubble. Her age, tendency for emotional outbursts, and obvious mistrust of everyone didn't make her an ideal candidate for fostering or adoption.

Riley made it only a few strides back toward her room before an oft heard voice pierced her brain.

"What's the matter, Riley? Another family that that kicked you out of the house?"

She looked over to see a smirk on the fat kid of the orphanage who commonly struck out at others for fun. She knew why he did, but that didn't garner any sympathy from her nor the many other orphans who also had daily run-ins with him.

She stopped in her tracks and turned to stare straight at him. "The hell did you say, John? Do you really want to be messing with me right now?"

"You heard what I said. You make even people who want to love you get sick of you. You'll always be alone, you're gonna be here until they kick you out at eighteen." He looked around the room for support but found most of the others keeping their distance. "I bet even your mom didn't love you before she died."

With those final words she moved swiftly toward him and landed a solid kick between the fat kid's legs, causing him to immediately land on his knees and gasp for air. A fist connected to the side of his head knocking him the rest of the way over and onto his back. She straddled his chest and stared straight at the boy. He stared back into the eyes of a girl who seemed more focused than anything.

She continued with a barrage of hits to whatever part of the face she could make contact with which started causing his vision to slowly blur and darken. The event elicited a small gathering of other orphans to watch, the noise level growing as it continued.

"Riley, get off of him!"

Ron rushed over and put her into a bear hug from behind to pull her off and subdue her. She jerked her body back and forth to try and free herself with varying levels of yelling.

"Stop struggling! Stop!"

She kept wriggling but eventually wore herself out and sank to her knees. Ms. Hammond came hurrying in to see what the commotion was, initially only seeing a bunch of scattering children. When they cleared she spotted Ron with his hands on Riley's shoulders who was sitting on the ground and breathing heavily. She looked slightly to the right and saw the bloodied face of another child trying to sit himself up.

"John, don't move. Just lie there ." She instructed one of the other employees to grab one of the medical kits from the offices. They obliged and quickly disappeared. "What the hell happened here?"

Ron let his hands fall free of Riley and turned toward Sara. "I found Riley here on top of John repeatedly hitting him in the head."

"Jesus. You can't just physically attack someone like that, Riley! Look what you did!"

Riley looked over at John who was wiping the blood from his eyes. "That asshole started it."

"That's not a good reason and you know it." She eyed Ron who was still carefully watching Riley. "Please, just… take her to one of the rooms and keep her in there. Make sure she can't leave until I figure out what to do."

He nodded and pulled her up by one of her arms and led her down the hallway to a small room. He gestured inside to which Riley accepted with no resistance as she was fine with the isolation. He closed the door behind her and locked it before returning to Sara's office.

"What are we going to do with her? If she keeps this up she's never going to get fostered out. And she'll especially have no chance with adoption. Not to mention the mayhem she'll likely cause in the house in the meantime."

Sara remained quiet while slowly pacing back and forth behind her desk. She stopped and shook her head in disappointment with an idea. "I don't like this, but maybe we consider relocating her."

"Relocating her? To another orphanage?"

"Yes. There's one a few cities over."

"And you think that's the best choice?"

"Possibly. I absolutely hate the idea since the only reason I got into this field is to help children, but I need to be reasonable here. She, at best, has little chance of being fostered due to her being… her. She's adding unneeded strain in the building, plus she'll have just as good of a chance elsewhere as here."

Ron slowly nodded his head. "I think you're right. It's, at the least, something we should seriously consider."

She sighed and broke eye contact. "I don't think there's a need to. I'm going to go ahead and get the paperwork started."

"Are you sure about this?"

"I am. But once I send it out and it gets approved, one of us will have to break the news to her." She reached below her desk and pulled out a several folders of paper and separated out the ones she needed. "Go ahead and let her out. Just keep a close eye on her for the next few weeks."

Riley sat in one of the corners of the dark room rubbing her knuckles. Most of the eight were bruised and some of them were cut and slightly bleeding. The door cracked open and a bright narrow beam of light projected itself against the wall next to her. The beam soon expanded and flooded the whole room as the door opened with Ron standing directly behind it.

"Come on, get up."

She peered upwards at him with her head held low, causing him to shift his stance in frustration. She sighed and pushed herself off the ground and walked past him out into the main room. She spotted John, now bandaged up, watching her carefully as she walked by and up the stairs with Ron following close behind.


	4. Chapter 4

4;

"I'm happy to see that all three of you were able to make it tonight. I know it's pretty crazy out there with the weather and all."

The parent-teacher conference was held in the school's gymnasium, the only building capable of holding all the participants in a single room. The floor was lined with a scuffed brown linoleum surface that converted every step upon it into a high pitched squeak. The basketball hoops were stowed into their upward positions and the mesh-protected lights that hung from the ceiling were all set to maximum brightness.

There were several dozen student desks scattered throughout the floor, each with three to four chairs stationed in front of it. The crowd of parents had already filled out chairs with more lining up behind those already sitting, most with their children, some without. Each of the desks had a teacher behind it ready to discuss the details of their student's performance with their respective parents.

The first teacher of Ellie's that the three of them visited was a middle aged man who simply went by 'Mr. H.' He smiled and pulled out a few sheets of paper from a manila envelope.

"So let's discuss grades first, shall we? Currently Ellie here has a B in my math class. Her past two tests were an 82 and an 84 and her homework averages about an 87." He alternated glancing back and forth between Thomas and Ellen. "Overall Ellie is doing quite fine. There's always room for improvement, but I don't think there's any reason to concern yourselves there."

He moved his gaze onto Ellie. "Though try and get those test scores up. I'm always available for extra help."

"Well that's good to hear. Our Ellie is a smart kid, so that's not too surprising." Thomas smirked and put a hand on her back. "What else?"

"There is one thing that I wanted to talk to you two about that I find the most concerning." He glanced again toward Ellie who had preemptively turned her head to avoid eye contact. "Ellie is not quite… social with the others."

Ellen raised an eyebrow. "How do you mean?"

"Well, I and the other teachers have been keeping an eye on her, as we do all the children here to see how they are getting along. Since being socially interactive is an important part of the educational system, we found her lack of such concerning, as I said."

Thomas tried to make eye contact with Ellie who was still facing away. "What is she doing?"

"For starters she seems to actively avoid raising her hand in class, which in itself isn't unusual, but when directly asked a question by a teacher she'll either ignore them or respond with false ignorance."

"False ignorance?"

"Such as responding with an answer that has nothing to do with the subject matter, or by simply saying she doesn't know."

"Well maybe she doesn't know."

"Of course, but she's very consistent. Her interaction is also no different with other students. She'll sit by herself at lunch and, on more than one occasion, has left the table when someone has sat next to her."

By now Ellie was somehow trying to disappear entirely from the conversation. She knew he wasn't wrong, but she hated hearing her own faults.

Ellen looked with a slight surprise over at Thomas. "We knew she was a bit… reserved, but that's just her. I didn't think she'd actually make an effort to avoid other children or even her own teachers." She switched her focus over to the side of Ellie's head. "Sweetheart, did you want to say anything?" She received a silent head shake. "We'll talk to her about it later."

They thanked her teacher for his time and got up from his desk. They cycled around through the rest of Ellie's remaining teachers, each one essentially with the same concerns and compliments as the others. It was getting late as they finished up with her last teacher, the room less crowded than when they first arrived. They left through the room's heavy doors and walked through the building's hallway until they reached the entrance where they first walked in.

They peered out the window and saw the rain coming down even stronger than before. He took off his coat and passed it to Ellen who was focusing on the obviously embarrassed girl.

"Anything you want to say?"

"About what?"

"Don't be snarky. You know what."

Ellie sighed and finally looked up at her. "I'll talk about it when we get back. I just want to get out of here first."

Ellen stayed quiet a second before nodding her head. "Alright, but you're not getting out of it."

She rolled her eyes as she pulled the hood over her head and again tugged on the strings. Thomas opened the door and the three hustled back through the downpour toward the car. He prepared the keys and was constantly pressing the unlock key as they approached it. The three flung their doors open when they finally reached it and slammed them closed behind them. The pattering of the stormy rain against the roof of the car filled the interior with a roar.

Ellen threw the soaked coat into the far back of the car while Thomas started it and cranked up the heater, hoping to silence the chattering teeth surrounding him.

He looked out through the windshield and watched the rain as it fell through the street lights' beams. "It's crazy out here."

"Just max out the wipers and let's go. The line out of here is long enough as it is."

"Fine, fine." He backed the car out of its spot and drove toward the already waiting line of cars to turn left back out onto the main street. He relaxed and rested his foot on the brake until the line budged again. "Good job by the way, Ellie. All A's and B's is really good."

"Absolutely. We're really proud of you."

Ellie was staring out the window at the large amount of cars waiting to get in line with them. "You guys sounded pretty disappointed inside."

Ellen turned around in her seat to face her. "Hey. Look at me. We are not disappointed in you. We couldn't be even if we tried. We just want to make sure you're happy and, from the sound of it, you're not quite there."

"I am happy. Really. I just… don't like other people." She returned to her gazing out the window as Thomas moved up a little farther.

Ellen sighed before turning around and facing forward again. "You'll get there. Just know that we love you no matter what."

Thomas squinted through the drenched windshield and pulled up again as the car in front of him moved. "Speak for yourself."

Ellen slapped him on the arm. "Not the time."

He smiled and turned around quickly to spot Ellie doing the same. "See? She thought it was funny too." He looked back and spotted a break in the cross traffic and pulled out to turn. The last thing Ellie remembered was a deafening car horn and Ellen scream.

oooOOooo

"Did you perform her daily yet?"

"I was just about to. While you're here, can you write this down?"

"Sure, one second." Some shuffling noises and what sounded like a pen clicking was heard. "Alright, go ahead."

"Heart rate is 79. Respiratory rate is about… 19, a bit high, but normal. Blood pressure is 116 over 71. Temperature, 99.1."

A very faint screen of gray disrupted the otherwise completely encompassing black.

"Pupils are normal."

"Okay."

"Make sure you swap out her IV and meet me over in room 214."

Sounds of footsteps drew close while others faded away. A light noise of metal clinking against metal was followed by a pair of footsteps retreating. Soon, a door clicked closed and then, seemingly immediately, clicked back open.

"You ready?"

"Yep, go ahead."

"Heart rate, 82. Respiratory rate is 16, better than yesterday. Blood pressure, 119 over 69, good. Temperature, 98.9, fine too." A screen of light disrupted the darkness again, though this time it appeared much brighter than before.

The female voice sounded surprised. "…oh my god."

"What?"

"Did you see that?"

"No, what was it?"

"Her eyes squinted against the light."

"Do you think she's coming to?"

"Possibly. Ellie, can you hear me?"

"I'm going to get Dr. Camden."

A pair of footsteps left, but the sound of another person remaining in the room was obvious as they scuffled around her. The footsteps soon returned and brought with it a third set. The numbers that the previous voices had just read off were reread out loud.

The new third voice was male and a bit softer than the other two. "Pass me the light."

The darkness briefly receded again and a very blurry and hazy outline of a face took up a majority of her vision. She attempted to keep her eyes open, but it was impossible with her strength.

"She may need one more day's rest, but I think she's finally waking up. Let me know if there are any changes."

"Of course."

Another day had passed by, the time passing in between seeming instantaneous. Her vision slowly improved from a fuzzy outline of objects to something more detailed and with color. She began observing her new surroundings, mostly white walls with a window to her left and a small TV in one of the upper corners.

A multitude of machines lay behind her head with wiring and cables looping around to each of them in an elaborate labyrinth. In turn, several white lengths of tubing lead from a couple of the machines into spots along her arm with one around her nose. She was trying to make sense of anything when the door opened and distracted her.

A man walked up the side of her bed with a clipboard in hand. "Hello, Ellie, my name is Dr. Camden. I'm glad to see that you're finally awake. How are you feeling?"

His words seemed slightly slurred and it took a few seconds for them to make sense. She squeezed her eyes closed and took a deep breath. "Not great."

"I wouldn't have expected any different. But at least you're feeling something, which is better than not at all."

"Where am I?"

"You're at St. Mary's Hospital. You've been here for a while now, and, to be honest, we weren't sure if you'd ever wake up. But that isn't really important right now. What is, is that-"

"Wait, what?" He stopped talking and arched his brow. "How long is 'a while'?"

He looked uncomfortable before giving in to her question. "Four months."

"Four months?"

"Right. Slept right through your birthday too." He smiled but the stunned look of her face in response caused him to rethink his banter. "You've been in a coma the entire time."

"How did I get here?"

"...what's the last thing that you can remember, Ellie?"

She re-closed her eyes and rubbed her temple. "I… I don't know. It's all just really hazy."

"That's understandable. But if you-"

"No, wait. It was dark and… loud. Really loud, like a, a crunching sound."

"I see, anything else?"

"Not really. Just a-" In an instant, Ellie's face shifted from neutral to completely distraught. Her breathing hastened and her pulse jumped as indicated by the increased frequency of the beeping from one of the machines. "Oh my god."

"Ellie, try to take a couple of deep breaths."

"Please tell me my parents are okay." Her body tensed up as she stared at the doctor and waited for an answer, his hesitation doing nothing to calm her. "Please."

"I'm sorry."

Her eyes quickly drained of life and her head fell back on the pillow as if her body had gone limp. Her breathing became interrupted by light sobbing while tears began to build up and overflow.

Dr. Camden stood by silently, letting the sudden reality of her world sink in. "I'll be back in a bit. Just… try to breathe." He sighed and walked out of the room with as little noise as possible and closed the door slowly behind him.

Several days had passed and it was clear Ellie was still reeling from her new situation. She became even more withdrawn and refused to cooperate or discuss anything with the medical staff. The doctor's visits were met with silence as were her daily checkups with the nurses. They tried to get her to open up, but nothing seemed to work.

On the fourth day, a woman in a brown corduroy jacket and similarly styled pants walked into her room and took a spot next to her bed. She took a quick look around the room and at Ellie specifically, noticing the same absent like expression that the staff had trying to help her with. Dr. Camden was standing in a corner to watch over the meeting.

"Nice to meet you, Ellie. I'm Susan."

She lightly shook her head and spoke almost silently. "So?"

"So, I work for the city government in a department that handles children in your… situation."

"You mean an orphan." She spoke flatly.

"Well, we try not to use that term, but yes." She opened the file she was holding and flipped the front page over. "I see here that Thomas and Ellen Messer were your foster parents. But now, because of-"

She interrupted with a defeated sounding scoff. "Were."

"Sorry?"

"Were. Past tense."

"Right… but now, because of... certain events, you will be reintroduced into the foster system."

The man in the corner broke his silence and took a step forward. "Couldn't you have been less blunt about it?"

"I'm sorry, but I feel pulling off the bandage quickly is the best approach. I'm sure you understand, Ellie."

"Just leave me alone."

"I will, but I first need you to-"

"Leave!"

The women's eyes widened and her mouth slightly dropped in surprise. She wanted to respond but chose to take a breath instead and listen to the girl. "I'll be back later."

Ellie knew that she'd have to face the eventuality of leaving the hospital and deal with the fact that she would not be able to go home to two loving parents who she had been, for once in her life, happily living with.

Within the next few weeks she was released in good physical health into, once again, the custody of the city.


	5. The Meeting

5;

Riley's knuckles, now bandaged with a white cloth, were rapping on Sara's desk as a nervous tick. Ron was sitting by the doorway, the feeling of a presence so close behind was setting her even more on edge. The two of them had called her in under the pretense of having a conversation which immediately filled her with some apprehension due to its unusualness.

She sat staring at Sara and was the first to break the awkward silence.

"Is this about John? Because you know I had a good reason. He's a bully, and I would never do that to someone unless they really deserved it." She rolled her eyes to the far left and then back at Sara. "Also why is Ron here?"

"He's just here to observe, don't mind him. And no, this isn't about John." She scratched the corner of her eyebrow. "Recently, as I'm sure you've noticed, we've had a rather large influx of new children into the orphanage. An unfortunate situation for obvious reasons. As such, the occupancy allowance of our building will soon be exceeded."

Riley absorbed every word, remaining skeptical to each one of them.

"So as a result, I've had to make some… decisions that I want you to know were not easy to make." She quickly glanced at Ron and then back to the girl.

"Just say it." Riley's eyes had narrowed as her patience lessened.

"We're going to have to move you to a larger orphanage a few cities over. It's a bit of a distance, but I hear it's quite nice there."

Riley wasn't sure what she had expected, but it wasn't that. She stared blankly at Sara while contemplating the sudden change in her life that was just thrown at her. She didn't care for the other kids really, but she was comfortable where she was. She was eventually jerked out of her unfocused gaze when Ron cleared his throat behind her.

"Just me?"

Sara scratched the corner of her eyebrow again and looked uncomfortably toward Ron and then back to Riley. "A few others will be relocating as well."

"Well then why the hell don't you just send the new kids over to the other orphanage instead and not go through the trouble of transferring me?"

"Because… the city sends the orphans to the nearest orphanage, which is us. I don't have a say in the matter."

Riley scoffed in disbelief. "Is that the best you can do?"

"It's the truth, Riley."

"Bullshit it's the truth. You just don't want to have to deal with me anymore. Well fuck you too." She got up from her chair quickly, causing a reaction in Ron to do the same. "Well I guess I know now why your little body guard is here."

"Riley, please calm down. We're only doing what we're told."

She ignored her and shoved Ron's shoulder aside as she walked indignantly out of the room.

Sara watched as she nearly disappeared around the corner before yelling to be heard. "You'll be leaving in the morning, Riley! Get your things packed by tonight!" She took a couple of deep breaths and turned to Ron. "Well, that went about as expected."

"A few others will be relocating? Really?"

"I didn't know what to say. I didn't want to make it obvious I was sending only her away."

Ron rolled his eyes as he walked out of her office. "She's gonna figure it out real quick tomorrow."

Sara sighed as he too disappeared, leaving her alone once again to her work.

Riley finished climbing the stairs, reached her room, and slammed the door behind her. She turned around and smashed her palm into it and fell onto one of the beds.

"This is complete bullshit! I've always wanted to get the hell out of here, but not just to end up in another one." She kicked the railing of the bed, the feeling of being betrayed by the two people who she's known for almost her entire life was crushing. "Fuck!"

As night rolled around she reluctantly listened to the commands of the betrayers and was once again packing up her clothing and the few possessions she owned into a small piece of luggage they gave her.

After a light sleep, the sun crept up from over the horizon and beamed its early morning light into the bedroom. She rolled herself out of bed with a newfound lack of care that it was likely the last time she'd be seeing her room, let alone her home. She dragged the bag behind her down the hallway and carried it down the stairs where Sara and Ron were standing by waiting with other curious orphans. She didn't bother stopping to even acknowledge their existence as she passed them by on the way out of the door.

She walked down the walkway to where a small van was waiting at the edge of the sidewalk. She walked up the vehicle's stairs and took a seat toward the back, throwing her bag onto the empty seat next to her.

"Of course I'm the only one."

She let her head fall against the headrest and watched out the window as the van slowly pulled away from the curb and drove out of sight of the last two people she wanted to see. She managed to stay awake for a while as she tried to figure out where exactly the van was driving, but soon gave up and closed her eyes.

A bump in the road jostled her awake, revealing the foreign scenery of an area she's clearly never been before. Even the distant mountain peaks had completely shifted into unfamiliar ones. The surrounding area had been mostly covered in trees when she fell asleep, but was now far sparser and contained a scattering of small buildings that surrounded the road they were driving along.

Within minutes of waking up, the van slowed down and eventually stopped in front of a relatively small building for an orphanage. The driver motioned for her exit which Riley found annoying. She grabbed her bag off the seat next to her and walked off the van. The driver took off almost as soon as her feet touched the ground.

"Thanks for the help, asshole."

She gestured at the van and turned back toward the red bricked building that lay in front of her. She observed some rectangular holes dug into the ground along one side of the building, likely due to a basement. She walked up the pathway, passing by a large wooden sign that was pounded into the grass, and up to the large wooden door.

She took a deep breath, turned the handle, and pushed her way through. She was immediately taken aback by the difference in layout from what she was used to. The first thing she saw was the sleeping area which was vastly different. Instead of a multitude of separate rooms housing the beds, there was instead one large one that offered no privacy, similar to a barracks.

"Hello over there. Can I help you?"

Riley was startled by the voice and looked around to find the source. She spotted an elderly man in a small office directly across from door leading into the bedroom. She walked into his office and did a quick look around. The man himself was an older man of at least eighty and had a nameplate on his desk that read 'Edgar Halwell.'

"Yeah, I guess so. I've been transferred here apparently. My name is Riley."

"Oh right, Riley. Yes I see you on here. Rather strange that."

"What?"

"The transfer itself. It's very uncommon to send children to and from other orphanages."

"That bitch. I knew it."

"Language, young lady. There are many children here younger than yourself that are very impressionable. We don't want them picking up any bad habits, okay?"

"Yeah."

He noticed her indifference but let it slide. "Good." He shuffled around some papers and examined them before looking back up at her. "You'll be sleeping in bed 33. Your locker will be number 123."

"You number your beds and lockers here? Sounds like some sort of prison system."

The old man's brow dropped. "It might not be what you're used to, but that's just how it is here. Money is tight and we're spending it in other areas that are of higher priority than having individual bedrooms."

"Fine. Where can I find my bed?"

He grew frustrated with the girl. "You'll have to ask one of the other orphans in there to help you. I'm not familiar with the numbers personally without the layout sheet in front of me. You'll also have to ask your bunkmate which half you'll be sleeping on."

She nodded without saying anything and took her bag, almost making it back out of the room before Edgar spoke up again.

"Oh, and Riley, welcome to Gateway."

She looked confused for a second then simply shrugged it off, continuing again out the door. She walked straight across and into the bedroom area, stopping just beyond the doorway to take in the room itself. The first thing that stuck out was that the ceiling was noticeably taller than the area from where she just came, likely to accommodate the taller beds.

The bunk beds themselves were laid out in a pattern of three rows running the length of the room, each row containing six beds. The first row was situated against the left wall, which itself had windows along its entirety, the third on the wall opposite, and the second evenly between them. She figured it was safe to assume there were at most thirty six orphans here. Lockers filled the gaps between each bed and a small string of dangling lights were stretched down the lane between the second and third rows.

There were several orphans walking up and down the room and a few others she spotted either sleeping or just resting. One of the latter was a girl reading a few beds over from where she stood. She approached slowly, trying not to startle her.

"Hey… uh, girl with the book. Can you show me where bed 33 is?"

The other girl slowly let her book down, as though she was finishing up a sentence, and turned her head to look at the brown-skinned girl standing next to her. She had straight reddish-brown hair and the bridge of her nose and her upper cheeks were spattered with freckles.

"Sorry, didn't mean to disturb you."

"It's fine." She swung her legs over the edge and stood up. "33 you said?"

"…yeah."

"Over here."

She led Riley down the right lane and toward the back of the room, stopping in front of a bed in the middle aisle. "This is yours. What's your locker number?"

"123."

She put her hand on the locker to her side. "This is yours too. It's not much but it'll help you feel like you have at least some privacy in this place."

"Thanks."

"No problem."

"So… is there a lock or anything for this?"

"Nope. Just don't put anything valuable in it."

She thought on it for a second before it sunk in. "Funny."

"I thought so."

Riley, surprisingly, managed a half-smile. "I'm Riley."

"Ellie."


	6. Chapter 6

6;

Riley threw her small piece of luggage onto her bed and unzipped it. She stashed her clothes and a couple items into the locker and shut it, the metal hinges grinding harshly against its joints as it swung. She threw the now empty bag under the bed and looked back up at the upper bunk before turning around toward Ellie. She was about to ask her where she was sleeping before Ellie beat her to it.

"You're sharing a bed with one of my friends, Sam. This is actually his bunk. I'm sure you two will meet later, but for now you really should get some rest if you want. Moving into an orphanage can be exhausting."

"I'm fine. I slept on the ride over here."

"Alright... well if you need anything, let me know." She began walking away back toward her bed before spinning back around. "Hey, actually, you're new here. Obviously. Did you want, like, a tour or anything?"

"I guess." She saw the hesitation in Ellie's demeanor and realized her own off-putting response. "Sorry. It's been a shitty day. A tour would be good."

"Don't worry about it." Ellie quickly glanced around. "Well, we can just start here. This is the bedroom obviously. Lights out is at 10:30, meaning everyone needs to be in bed by then. It can get a bit noisy in here at night, so I hope you're not a light sleeper."

"Shouldn't be a problem."

"I'm gonna introduce you to a couple of people too, if that's alright."

"Sure."

Ellie led them back through the left lane of beds toward the front of the room. She stopped and stood next to a bed up against one of the windows and shook the figure beneath the sheets.

"Come on. Wake up."

A few grunts of frustration were followed by the gradual movement of the sheets being pulled off of a boy's head.

"I'm trying to rest, what do you-" His eyes focused in on the person who tore him from his sleep. "Ellie? What do you want? Let me sleep."

"I'm showing the new girl around."

"New girl?" His eyes slightly shifted to the right. "Oh."

"You're our first stop."

He leaned up and squinted his eyes against the light coming from the window. "Great."

"Riley, this is Tino. Tino, Riley."

"Yo."

"Yeah… hi." He looked back at Ellie with an expectant look.

"Fine, go back to sleep."

He immediately obliged and pulled the covers back up over his head.

Riley followed Ellie back out of the bedroom who stopped just outside the door and turned back to her.

"Sorry about Tino. He's usually cool."

"It's fine. I'd probably act the same after being woken up."

"True. Anyway, from here you can pretty much see everything in the building except for a couple things. Obviously the bedroom is there." She turned around and motioned toward the office next to the front door. "That's the office, Edgar pretty much lives in there. No one really goes in there but him, not unless someone has a problem."

She pointed in the opposite direction of the office, down the hallway from the office and a little to the left. "Officially known as the entertainment area there. It's got a TV and some board games, magazines too if you're into that. Not much else. We just refer to it as the great room."

"Pretty much what my other place had, minus the TV."

"Other place?"

"The orphanage I was transferred from."

"Oh, I thought you were new to… this whole thing."

She shrugged her shoulders. "Nope. Veteran I guess."

"Better than being a new one. Why'd they transfer you?"

Riley bit the corner of her lip out of frustration. "Because they're all assholes over there. I got in a flight with some fat kid who was mocking me."

She managed a smile out of Ellie, though it seemed empty. "Sounds like they deserved it. But don't start something like that here or Edgar will be all over you. He's old school and has little tolerance for anything other than complete manners. Unrealistic, but whatever."

"I figured as much. I only talked to him for a minute before he jumped on me for cussing."

"He's disciplined for less. But really he's a nice guy, just strict." She spun in place again and pointed towards a small hallway to the right of the entrance just passed the office door. "Anyway, down there and through the door on the left is the kitchen, but we'll head there in a minute. I'm gonna introduce you to my other friend first."

They headed left and into the great room where a TV rested on a worn looking piece of wooden furniture that was pressed against the wall. A couple of chairs and a couch were positioned in front of it in an arc. A table with a stack of worn board game boxes was just a few feet away against the corner wall and underneath a window.

They moved around to the side of one of the chairs where the top of a head was visible as they approached. The boy in its seat pulled his attention away from the TV when the two girls appeared next to him.

"Hey, Ellie." His eyes focused in on the other standing next to her. "Who's this?"

"Riley." She looked back over at her. "This is Sam. We've been friends for a quite a while here."

"Hi Riley. How long have you been an orphan?"

"What the hell, Sam?"

Riley cut in without a pause. "It's fine. I've been an orphan since I was 6, I think. I'm 15 now, so more than half my life I guess."

"Cool, pretty much the same as me. I guess we're sort of soul mates then, huh?"

"I don't think so."

"Why are you moving in now? Something happen to you like it did Ellie?"

Riley looked over at Ellie in confusion who had already shut her eyes and pressed a few fingers against her temple. "I don't know about her, but I was relocated from another orphanage."

"Oh. Well, Ellie's back because-"

"I really don't care."

He seemed startled from the interruption but gave in without much pause and let his head fall back against the chair. "Alright, I'm gonna finish watching my show then."

Riley led the two of them away this time and back toward the hallway near the kitchen door. She let Ellie gather herself with a few breaths.

"Sorry about Sam too." She shook her head. "He's just… different."

"Don't worry about it, really. What about you? You alright?"

"Just a bit of a sore spot. But he and Tino are my only two friends in here, so I just sort of put up with their shit."

Riley tried to break the sudden awkwardness. "Yeah, well… I see the real reason."

"And what's that?"

"Two guys as friends. Just sayin' I see how you like your company."

"What? No, it's not like that. They're just guys who happen to be friends. I mean friends who happen to be guys." Riley smirked while Ellie grunted and gathered herself. "I've always just been more comfortable around guys. Girls can be, I don't know, bitchy. Even here."

She continued walking again down the hallway and up to the kitchen door. "You're cool so far though, just don't be like that and we'll be good."

"No worries there."

"Good."

She gazed at Riley for a second before pushing open the door next to her and walking in. She led her towards one of the two stoves where a large black woman was standing with her back toward them. She donned a white spotted apron around her chest, a ladle in her right hand, and a towel in her left. She was in the process of holding the lid of a steaming pot while stirring whatever was inside of it.

"Smells good. What is it?"

The large woman spun around, startled out of her concentrated state.

"Oh, you scared me! You can't be doing that when I'm holding things." She put the lid back on the pot and the ladle down on to the counter. "And you know it does. It's a kind of vegetable medley soup with a bit of a spicy kick to give it some character."

"Cool." Riley couldn't help but notice that Ellie was a rather bland speaker. She spoke directly and with little emotion. "I just wanted to bring Riley here. She's new and I'm just showing her around. This is Evette by the way."

"Well hi there darlin'." She looked the girl up and down then focused in on the top of Riley's head. "That's some interesting hair you have there, child. Don't think I've ever seen that before."

Riley instinctively reached her hand up and felt the side of her head that was little more than fuzz. "I've seen it in magazines and thought I'd give it a try." She let her hand fall to her side. "I like it. For now at least."

Evette's facial expression gave away her differing opinion, but didn't comment further on it. "Well okay." She shifted away from the issue. "Anyway, I'm not sure if you've been told yet, but we serve out our meals a few times a day at eight, one, and six o'clock. Make sure you don't miss those or you'll be out of luck until the next one rolls around."

"I don't miss free food. Are you the only one who makes it for the entire house? Lot of kids here."

"Nah, it's not so bad. I have another one around here somewhere that helps with the preparation and the like." She smiled but her expression changed to something like realization. "It was nice to meet you, Riley, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to kick you out. I need to get everything ready for tonight."

"Alright."

"See ya, Evette."

They headed back out of the kitchen and into the small hallway, letting the woman go back to her preparation.

Riley smiled once they were alone again. "I like her. She's like the stereotypical sassy black lady."

"She really is. She makes good food too."

"Well at least that's something I can look forward to every day."

"Yeah." Ellie looked off to her left and nodded her head. "Final place to check out, the basement. It's not much, but the tour wouldn't be quite complete without it."

Riley followed her gaze to a door about five feet away. "Well, I'm glad I'm getting my money's worth."

Ellie rolled her eyes and opened the door which led to, as far as Riley could tell, a wooden staircase that descended down into a black abyss. She leaned inside and flipped a switch which caused the darkness below to be replaced by a slight glow.

"Watch your step, stairs are old."

Ellie held onto the handrails as she made her way down, the stairs creaking with every step. Riley followed close behind counting eight steps by the time her foot touched the concrete floor. She scanned the dimly lit basement, taking in the naturally unsettling sight of it.

It was an old unfinished basement with a cracked grey concrete floor. Light bulbs were hung directly from their cords, not unlike the ones in the bedroom, and were unable to illuminate even some of the far corners, leaving the shadows a safe haven. The walls were a lighter gray with the lower half being a darker brown with a rust-like appearance.

Wiring was stretched along the ceiling in a maze like pattern that was all held up by a series of piping leading to every corner of the building.

The floor itself spanned out about thirty feet with two rows of dark red square brick columns laid out evenly along its length. Several windows were scattered along the wall closest to the staircase, the bottom of each at about knee height to the girls.

There were a couple of large wheeled dumpsters located near the center in between two of the pillars, each a dark green and filled with dusty construction debris and various scrap. In between other support columns were a variety of old rusted metal chairs, mostly stacked on each other with a few fallen away from their group.

In the back right corner of the room, just a few large strides from the bottom step of the stairs, was a separate walled off storage container with a metal door and a pull-hatch as its handle. Its walls were made of a white plastic looking material which clearly hasn't been cleaned in some time.

"Well here's the basement, told you it's not much. It's just a big, mostly empty, storage area for the building. It's rare anyone comes down here with the exception of the kitchen staff." Ellie pointed over to the white container in the corner. "That's the storage for the food. It's like a… actually I'll just show you."

She pulled the latch outwards and swung the door open, releasing a wall of slightly chiller air from within. She flipped another switch on the inside which lit a single light bulb hanging from the ceiling.

The cooler was small, no larger than a jail cell, but was layered to the ceiling with metal shelving, each stacked with various food items. On average it contained a week's worth of food including raw meat and canned food, even the dry goods had their own dedicated section.

"We're not really supposed to be in here. And if Edgar found out, he'd have a fit. But he's never down here. And Evette doesn't care as long as we don't take anything."

"Good to know." Riley blatantly picked up a small sleeve of crackers and stashed them in her pocket and continued to casually look around.

Ellie's eyes widened as she threw out her hands. "What the hell?"

"I'm kidding, lighten up." She chuckled as she threw the sleeve back up on the shelf.

"You're going to be a pain in the ass aren't you?"

Riley smirked at Ellie as she walked passed her and out of the cooler. She looked around again before turning back to the girl she left in frustration. "So why is this basement so messed up?"

"What do you mean?"

"For starters, it looks like the entire room flooded or something. The walls are all stained."

"Oh yeah, guess so. They weren't like this before."

Riley looked back at her in confusion. "Before?"

"Yeah, I…" She took an obviously uncomfortable deep breath.

"Sorry. Shouldn't have asked."

"Not your fault. Still working through some stuff."

"Have to do with what Sam said earlier?"

She slowly nodded her head. "…yeah."

"Forget it then."

They observed each other in silence for a few seconds until Ellie broke it off with a slight head shake.

"Let's go. I don't like it down here."

Ellie flipped the light off in the cooler, shut the door, and latched the handle. They both walked up the wooden stairs which, again, did nothing to conceal their position. Ellie turned around and flipped off the basement lights, allowing the darkness take control again, and closed the door. They ended up back in the great room where Sam was still in his chair watching TV. They stopped where the entry hallway broke off into the rest of the building.

Ellie reached over and scratched the side of her arm. "Hey, so… every couple of days I go and hang out in town for a while. It helps clear my head. I usually go alone, but if you wanted to come, that'd be okay."

"Yeah, sure. It'd be a good distraction from everything."

"Cool. We can leave tomorrow morning after breakfast."

"Alright. But for now, I think you were right. I need to crash for a bit." She looked over at the back of Sam's head. "Hey Sam, you sleeping on top or the bottom?"

He tiled his head back and yelled out at the ceiling. "Bottom!"

She shrugged and turned back to Ellie. "Guess I'm on top. Thanks for the tour by the way."

"No problem."


	7. Chapter 7

7;

Ellie carefully made the journey through the right lane of beds, careful not to disturb the various other kids sleeping or resting, and stopped in front of a bed near the end of the middle row. She climbed halfway up its ladder and leaned in quietly to observe the new girl for a second before reaching forward to wake her.

"I'm awake."

The unexpected voice startled her and caused her to tighten her grip on the ladder. "Oh, sorry."

"What is it?"

"Just letting you know dinner's gonna be ready really soon."

"Okay."

Ellie nodded and stepped off the ladder and started back out of the room with a new concern for the girl and her sudden drop in demeanor. She walked through the doors and headed to the dining area.

About ten or so rounded tables were laid out in a seemingly random fashion, each capable of seating four or five each. Most of them were already filled out with other kids ready for dinner to be served. It was dense and required some maneuvering to be able to walk through without shoving or getting stuck.

The layout of the area resembled a buffet, or more realistically a soup kitchen. The kitchen itself was able to be clearly seen from the dining area, but the buffet type line created an artificial wall between the two. Each person would grab a plate from the stack at one end of the line and shuffle themselves sideways to the other, getting served whatever food that was being offered in between.

This was also one the only times of the day that Edgar would be seen outside his office, even if only for a minute. He would generally grab his plate of food and head back into his cave to toil away at his work.

Ellie spotted Sam and Tino sitting at a table near the left end of the room and weaved through a few of the other tables and took a chair next to Sam. She looked over at Tino and gave him an annoyed look which he raised his eyebrows at.

"Hey, thanks by the way for making no effort with the new girl." She turned toward Sam. "And you too. What the hell was up with that question?"

Tino was relaxed and caught off guard by the sudden attack. "Whoa, where's this coming from? If I remember right, you woke me up and shoved some new kid's face into mine. I said hi, and then I went back to sleep. I think that's good enough."

Sam spoke up in retaliation. "What'd I do? I asked her a question. We're all orphans in here, some for different reasons. I just wanted to know."

Ellie rolled her eyes and sighed in frustration. "You really need to figure out what questions are appropriate. Most people aren't gonna want to talk about it to someone they just met."

Sam just brushed it off without much concern. "Some don't care." He looked over Ellie's shoulder. "Speaking of which."

The other two looked over towards the hallway to see Riley slowly making her way over to the dining area, seemingly a little dazed. Ellie waved her over as Sam and Tino watched motionlessly.

She took the empty chair next to Ellie and spoke despondently. "Hey."

"Hey. We were just talking about you actually." She scooted her seat to the side and turned it slightly so she was facing the three of them.

Riley lowered her brow. "About?"

"Just that these two were bei-"

"Come get it!"

Ellie was cut off by Evette's voice which resounded throughout the room. Even if she had decided to keep talking she would never have been heard with the resulting volume increase in the room.

Evette swung the pot of soup like a pendulum onto the counter, took off its lid, and submerged a ladle into it. Her assistant laid out two trays of food, one of spaghetti and sauce and the other of simple mashed potatoes. Neither of which looked like they could sufficiently feed the entire building.

The kids all got up from their tables and lined up at the left end of the room. They each grabbed their plates one at a time and slid down the line getting served the three items and then sitting back down at their seats.

The four of them were one of the last tables to get into line. After sitting back down Riley simply stared at her plate mindlessly while swirling her potatoes with a fork.

"You were about to say something."

Ellie couldn't help but notice her distant stare. "Nothing important, doesn't matter." She took a bite of some of her own food and continued. "So, uh, what do you think of your first day here?"

"Well, the food is better, I guess. The people at my other place didn't give really a shit. You know... the people who I knew for my entire life. The same people who were willing to kick me out almost instantly without a second thought." Her voice became sterner and her grip around her fork tightened.

The other three flashed awkward glances at each other before Tino nervously spoke out. "So… I'm glad the food is better. We have it pretty good here with Evette."

"…yeah." Riley was watching Sam at the edge of her vision staring straight at her, making her more annoyed by the second. "What?"

"Just want to know what you think about us, about the place. How'd you end up here anyway?"

"It's an orphanage. What do you want to hear, huh?" She put her fork down and raised her head to stare back at him. "And why the hell does it matter? I'm only here because I was fucking betrayed by the people I've trusted for ten years. Is that what you want to hear?"

She looked around at the sudden wide-eyed expressions on the other three and realized her sudden outburst, several nearby tables taking an interest as well. She took a couple of deep breaths and slowly pushed her seat away from the table. She left her untouched food behind and walked back to the bedroom with a feeling of a thousand eyes on her back.

"Damn it, Sam." Ellie hopped up from the table and walked quickly after her.

She rounded the corner and made her way down towards the end of the now mostly empty and dark room. As she approached Riley's row she was just barely able to make out an outline on the top bunk.

"Riley?" She waited for a response. "Look, I'm sorry about Sam. Like I said, and as you know, he can be a bit much at times."

"It wasn't him…" Her words trickled off the bed.

Ellie stood uncomfortably with her head tilted upwards toward the figure. "Mind if I come up?"

There was a long enough pause that almost prompted her to leave. "Sure. Whatever."

She climbed the ladder and sat down at the edge of Riley's bed and faced herself towards the door with her feet hanging.

"Look… I'm sorry about what you've been through today. But most of us have gone through something similar, otherwise we probably wouldn't be in here." She looked over to Riley who had her eyes shut. "I'm not gonna preach about how you should cheer up, because honestly, you had a crappy day and you can feel like that." She sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know what my point is. Just know you're not alone, even if it feels like it."

Riley exhaled deeply. "I hated today. I really did." She shook her head before opening her eyes to look at Ellie. "I was good there, you know? I knew everybody, the area, the schedule. Here… it's the same, just… not."

"You just need some time."

"Probably." She leaned herself up and her expression changed to suspicion. "Why do you care anyway?"

Ellie scrunched her brow. "About what?"

"About me. You literally just met me and you seem concerned. Why?"

"Because… I don't know. Can't I just be concerned about someone else?"

"Not without wanting something, no."

Ellie paused for some time, struggling with understanding her side. "Well that's not me." She looked back toward the door discouraged. "I'm gonna go finish dinner. I'll clean yours up after we're done if you stay here."

She climbed back down the ladder and reached the floor again. "See ya. Maybe."

Riley remained silent which, to Ellie, gave her permission to leave. She walked out of the bedroom and into the dining area where some of the kids were watching her, most averting their gazes. She sat down in her same seat as before, but in her absence Sam had left leaving only Tino.

He was finished with his food as well but waited for her return. "So what's up with the new girl?"

"She's… stressed. I'll talk to her again tomorrow. Pretty sure she's done for the night." She started picking at her food. "Hey, I didn't mean to jump on you earlier."

"No worries. But if it's cool I'm gonna go join Sam."

"Yeah, go. I'll join you in a bit."

Her appetite had dwindled, causing her to be done with the food after finishing only half. She piled hers and Riley's full plate and dropped them into the dirty dish bin. She walked over to the couch and dropped onto it against Tino. They sat and talked for the next several hours, alternating between board games and the TV before getting the warning call from Edgar that lights out time was approaching.

The three of them readied themselves for sleep and split off to each of their beds. Tino and Ellie went off to their shared bed, Tino on top and Ellie on bottom, while Sam went to his. He quietly slid himself onto his bottom bed hoping to avoid any attention from the girl above.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next two chapters, 8 and 9, are a little shorter like this one. They were initially one long chapter, but I felt it read better to break them up. With that said, I'm going to upload them together for continuity's sake. 10 is essentially a lead-in to 11 which will introduce a very familiar character. Just a heads-up I suppose.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can consider this chapter 8.1, and the next 8.2.

8 (8.1);

"My turn to wake you up." Riley was in Ellie's face as she lightly shook her shoulder. "We're gonna grab breakfast then you said we could head into town."

Ellie simply stared at girl in confusion as her mind struggled to wake up.

"…you're mad."

"I'm not mad, I-"

"It's fine. You were just trying to be nice yesterday and I was a total asshole and I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you. But for now you said we could go into town today."

"I did, didn't I?" She rubbed the sleep from her eyes while reopening only one of them. "Just let me wake up first."

"Well hurry. I need to get out of this place for a while."

"But you just got here."

"You know better than anyone how much I need to."

"…good point."

"I'll be out there."

She left Ellie half asleep and headed out into the far less populated eating area to take a seat at one of the tables. There didn't seem to be a similar waking schedule for the building as there was for the night. The food was already laid out in several trays in the same way as dinner. It was mostly basic items that could be found at a cheap hotel such as toast, butter, eggs, and some juices.

She grabbed some of each, a higher amount of eggs than the other options, and sat herself down. She watched in disinterest the other children sleepily filter in and grab their food before heading to random tables.

The TV was on and was switched to some cartoon channel that was loud and that she had no interest in. She tapped her foot impatiently as she watched the door to the bedroom for the freckled girl to walk through them.

Halfway through her plate she spotted her slowly shuffling her feet out of the room and over to the food line. She grabbed a plate and all the same items as Riley had and sat down across from her.

"Hey." Her groggy sounding voice was gone, but she was still clearly tired.

"Hey… again sorry about the whole thing."

"It's cool. Really." She clenched her eyes closed then back open. "I'm surprised you woke up before me. I figured you would've been exhausted from yesterday."

Riley shrugged it off trying to forget it. "So what did you have in mind for today?"

"Just what I normally do, I guess. Walk down the main street and check out all the shops lined along there. Maybe something else too."

"Okay… but I don't have any money."

"It's called window shopping. Ever heard of it?"

Riley's expression dropped, quickly followed by a smirk. "Yeah I've heard of it."

Riley finished her food first, downing the little juice they got with it in a few sips, and waited for Ellie to finish hers. Once she was done as well they stood up and dropped their plates into the bin. They went back to now half empty bedroom and up to their beds, both grabbing their light coats from the metal lockers and meeting up at the front door.

"Are we supposed to tell the old guy or something?"

"I somehow doubt you would even if you were supposed to."

"Sounds about right."

"And no, there's no attendance checking or anything."

Ellie pushed through the front door and let in a flood of daylight which caused Ellie to shield her eyes and Riley to squint. They walked out into morning air and down the pathway leading to the sidewalk. It was early and the sun was still low in the sky.

"Feels really weird."

Ellie stopped walking and turned back to see Riley swiveling her head around. "What?"

"I'm used to stepping out of the orphanage and seeing certain things. Now I don't know even where the hell I am. It's just… weird."

"You'll get there. Come on."

They reached the road and followed it east, the direction the van had initially arrived from with Riley. They crossed several main streets, with long stretches of sidewalks between each, before finally reaching what Ellie referred to as storefront street. It was true to its name, a street that was home to a long string of stores on both sides. A fair number of people were already making their rounds up and down its sidewalks, either simply exercising or checking out the recently opened stores.

They walked side by side while intermittently looking through the large glass displays as they passed them.

"So, how often do you come down here?"

"I try a couple times a week when school's not in session. I can't stand being held up inside the orphanage, the air is stagnant and just reeks of depression." She looked over at Riley who was busy glaring through the window of one store. "How was your other place before they… you know."

Riley turned away and kept walking. "It was, no offense, better than your place. It was bigger and there were actual bedrooms. Everyone wasn't crammed up into one room."

"Sounds better already."

"Yeah. I mean, there still wasn't complete privacy, but it was better than this place. It's awkward as hell changing in front of other people here."

"You get used to it."

"Yeah, maybe. Doesn't really matter though now, does it? I'd rather just forget about those assholes over there. You're better than most of them anyway and I've only known you for a couple of days."

"Says a lot about them doesn't it?"

Riley scoffed. "Yeah, no shit." She darted her eyes to the right after spotting something in the corner of her vision. "Look!"

She stopped and stared in one of the windows which displayed a selection of jeweled bracelets ranging from bright single colors to several of mixed. Riley had her forehead and hands pressed up against the glass and waved Ellie over.

"Isn't that gorgeous?"

She looked them over but none of them particularly stood out. "Which one?"

"What do you mean which one? The one on the right, the green and red one." She sighed. "Fuck I wish I wasn't broke. I'd get that in a second."

"Well, hate to break it to you, but we are. Not like we can just take it." As soon as she finished her sentence she watched as Riley's expression slowly changed from disappointment to optimistic. "…what? What did I say?"

"Why not?"

"Why not what?"

"Why can't we take it? It's a little item they'll never notice missing. Plus we're just a couple of orphan girls, they'd never know."

Ellie's mouth dropped slightly. "Seriously? You're crazy, not a chance." She turned her back and started to walk off when she heard the most pathetic voice she's ever heard.

"Pleeeease."

Ellie stopped in her tracks and turned around to see Riley's overly dramatic eyes looking back at her.

"You're begging me to help you steal. Really." She only received a pathetic nod in response which caused her own head to drop forward in defeat. "I can't believe I'm letting someone I just met talk me into this. What do you want me to do?"

"Yes!" Riley grabbed her by the shoulders. "You're awesome. Okay, we'll just go in there and browse and you'll start talking to the store keeper about anything. You just have to distract them for like… ten seconds. Tops. I'll grab the bracelet and then we get the hell out of there."

"Feeling better, huh?" Against her better judgment Ellie closed her eyes and sighed. "Alright, fine. But if we're caught I'm running and leaving you behind."

"Deal."

They casually strolled into the store, with Riley in the lead who greeted the cashier, and moved on to browse through the clothes. She grabbed one of the shirts from the rack and held it up to herself.

"What do you think?"

"I think you're messed up."

"Probably." She held it away from her. "Kind of ugly."

She hung it back up and walked over to where the jewelry was displayed. She nudged Ellie in the shoulder and motioned toward the cashier. She sighed in response and walked over to him with a knot in her stomach.

She moved around to his other side, making sure to drag his line of sight away from Riley.

"Excuse me. Um, I was wondering if you could tell me if you have a shirt in a different size."

Riley watched them carefully and, as soon as he was distracted, she turned back around slid the bracelet off of its display mount and into the pocket of her coat. She casually walked back over to Ellie who was clearly uncomfortable by this point.

"Erica, come on. We're going to be late if we don't get moving."

Ellie was stunned for a second but played into it. She nervously chuckled at the cashier. "I'm sorry, I guess I'll come later to check that shirt out. Thanks for your help though."

They both headed out the door at a quick pace. As soon as they were out of the sight of the store they both picked up speed and ran down the street, turning into an alley several store lengths down.

"Holy crap, I can't believe I just did that." Ellie spoke between her breaths. "How did I let you talk me into that again?"

"Oh come on, it was exciting. Admit it."

Ellie calmed her breathing as a smile slowly grew. "Alright, it was."

Riley laughed. "Good job by the way." She reached into her coat pocket and pulled out the bracelet and ripped off its tag. She slipped it on over her wrist and held it outwards to admire it. "How's it look?"

"Looks kind of stolen-y."

"I love it." She looked back at Ellie. "Thanks, Erica."

She rolled her eyes. "Come on, let's keep going. But we're only looking though, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. I guess we can just… window shop."


	9. Chapter 9

9 (8.2);

Riley was surprised, and somewhat annoyed, at their revelation. "We've been up and this street a million times and we've never bothered to figure out where this alley leads?"

"I guess not. I've never seen a reason to go down it really, I've always just assumed that it ends at some dumpsters or something."

"Well, we're gonna find out now."

Four months had passed since Riley first arrived at the orphanage, though not much had changed in that time. Ellie let her hair grow a little farther down her back and essentially wore the same clothes as usual: an old brown coat, a long sleeved t-shirt, and jeans. Riley, due to her constant desire for change, was almost her opposite. She got rid of her half-shave hair and opted for a messy style with a length just below her ears. She wore a black zip up jacket for cold days, a ragged t-shirt, and some equally ragged jeans.

They slowly trekked through the same alley they had stopped in just months prior to admire their first jewelry heist together, though they were both now in possession of a fair amount more.

They emerged onto a street that ran perpendicular to the alley in an area that seemed exclusively residential. The road curved out of sight in both directions, one uphill, one downhill. Restless trees producing a symphony among the wind lined the sidewalks and casted a permanent shade over the neighborhood. A sea of green dominated the ground that wasn't already covered by picket fence-encompassed homes.

They both stood at the exit and let the sights saturate their senses for a minute before Ellie broke her trance first. "Wow… wish I would've come here sooner."

"See what happens when you hang out with me?"

"Arrogant much?"

"Come on, gotta give credit where it's due."

Ellie smiled it off and looked up and down the road. "Which way?"

Riley copied the same back and forth motion. "Left probably."

Ellie agreed and they followed the road in the downhill direction, opting for an easier walk.

Sunbeams squeezed themselves through the tree canopy and spotted the sidewalks in an organic pattern of black and white. Not a rock nor stray grass blade littered the pristine sidewalk of the neighborhood, except for the occasional crack.

As they neared the end of the first curve they spotted some sparkling lights emanating through the gap between two houses.

"No way."

"I see it too." Ellie turned her head and positioned herself. "Race you there!" She shoved the other girl to the side and sprinted forward.

"No fair!" Riley regained her footing and dashed down the road after her.

They raced down the street cutting through front yards and over fences, alternating between running on the asphalt of the road and the concrete of the sidewalk. Riley followed just behind Ellie but tried to gain the lead by cutting every corner she could.

Riley used up every bit of energy she could in order to try and overtake her but knew it was pointless as they neared the source of the lights. As they approached, a wide line of trees encircling the bank of a small lake at the edge of the neighborhood presented itself. Ellie was decently ahead and had already crashed onto the grass at the base of one of the large trees.

Riley reached it shortly after and fell onto the ground beside her with her arms stretched out to her sides. They both lay on their backs with their chests rising and dropping like a wave while staring into the tree's canopy from below.

"Cheater. That wasn't. Fair." Riley forced out her words between breaths.

"I would've. Won. Anyway." Ellie leaned up and took in the view while catching her breath.

Groups of people were out on the path in the early morning, most either on casually strolling or jogging by with their headphones in. Others were sitting on benches or on chairs positioned against the lake with fishing poles in hand. It was humid from the water, but the breeze made it comfortable.

"I can't believe we've never found this place before now. It's pretty close too."

Ellie let out a sigh and shook her head. "I've been here a lot longer than you and I've only ever wandered the city. I've been missing out."

"It's nice. Makes you almost forget about… well, you know. Everything."

"Yeah." She paused in what seemed like reluctance. "We won't be in this situation forever, you know? Hell, even I got out for a little while."

Those words came as a surprise to Riley. Normally they were both careful to avoid even mentioning their pasts unless one of them was willing, so she figured this would be as good a moment as any to satisfy her curiosity.

"How long?"

"What?"

"How long were you out? The system?"

Ellie turned back to face the water without muttering a word. She paused for longer than Riley felt comfortable.

"Sorry, shouldn't have asked."

"No, it's fine. We've known each other long enough, no reason to keep secrets. About ten months."

Riley minded her responses more carefully now that the conversation's tone had shifted. "Few of us even get that chance."

Ellie tore her gaze from the water to look back at the girl still lying on her back. "True. And I suppose I should be happy I had even that, but I'm not."

Riley took a deep breath, contemplating whether or not to continue on. "What happened?"

She looked at Riley calmly but her eyes were portraying the opposite.

"My foster parents were amazing, which is rare based on the horror stories I've heard. They took me in despite my age and we just immediately became a family. We did normal family stuff, as if we had always been together. It was good. Really good actually. Well… one night we had just finished up with some parent-teacher conference thing at my school. We got in the car, but it was hard to see anything really since it was crazy rainy and dark."

She sighed and pushed back her discomfort. "Thomas pulled out in front of a car and we got hit. I woke up in a hospital room four months later... without them." She laughed nervously and laid her head back onto the grass and closed her eyes. "Technically I was dead too. For a little while at least."

"…fuck, Ellie. I had no idea."

"No one does. You're the only person I've ever told."

Riley wasn't sure how to respond. The time between them speaking grew longer the more she thought about it, something Ellie noticed.

"You don't have to say anything, really. It was a lot to throw at you."

"I asked." She shifted herself into a position more similar to Ellie's. "Since we're sharing, I should probably do mine."

"You don't have to."

"I want to."

Ellie was completely relaxed on the grass and could barely open her eyes to watch as Riley talked.

"So… yeah. You can't tell anyone this, okay?"

Ellie was noticeably confused, but nodded anyway, unsure of what to expect.

"Shit, alright. When I was young my mom wasn't exactly a responsible person. She would often leave me alone at night to go out to bars or to find herself in the company of men for, you know. Anyway, she got involved with an abusive one. She let it go on for a while, but decided it was enough when he threatened me personally." She scoffed. "It took threatening the life of a child for her to finally leave him, figures. She went to the police but they couldn't do anything that night, so she shacked us up in a motel until morning."

Riley took her turn to stare at the water as she spoke.

"Well, the guy found us, fuck knows how. He banged on the door demanding to be let in, so my mom shoves me into the bathroom, shuts the door, and calls the cops. One shows up and talks to the guy. Well apparently, the idiot drew a knife and charged the cop. So he shot him. I can still hear them."

She quietly mimicked the sounds of three gunshots. "Two hit him, killed him. The third went through the window and hit my mom. She died pretty much instantly. On the floor of a dirty old motel room no less. She didn't have any family, so they threw me in with other orphans right away." Riley laid back against the grass as well with a large sigh, letting the sun warm her face. "So that's mine."

Ellie was dumbfounded and almost didn't notice Riley had stopped talking. "...I can't imagine having that memory."

"It's not bad. Seems like forever ago."

They lay silently with their eyes shut and let the breeze flow itself over them while the canopy protected them from the sun on my buttless day. They listened to the wind as it rustled the leaves above them and to the footsteps and conversations of people as they walked past them on the nearby path. The mild repetitive sound of the water sloshing was hypnotically relaxing.

"Thanks by the way."

"You too."

"…we're a bit fucked up aren't we?"

Ellie calmly laughed before stifling a yawn. "A bit, yeah."


	10. Chapter 10

10;

"Riley."

"Hm?" The brown-skinned girl was on the edge of giving in completely to the relaxation of the lake.

"It's gotta be getting close to lunch. I could really go for some food."

Riley groaned and rolled onto her side facing away from Ellie. "I don't think I can move."

"I'll help you up." Ellie pushed herself off the ground first and held out a hand to Riley who ignored it completely. "I hate to leave too, but we'll come back here later."

"Later is now."

"No it's not."

"Yes it is."

"Come on, give me your hand." The silence grew frustrating. "Riley."

"Alright, fine. You're no fun."

"I'm even less fun when I'm hungry."

"Less fun than no fun?"

"Yeah, that's right. I'm negative fun." Ellie tried to remain serious but a smile snuck through her forced demeanor.

Riley leaned up and grabbed the outstretched hand and let it pull her up to her feet. She followed alongside Ellie as she began the walk to the edge of the park while casually observing the movement around the lake.

They headed out of the lake area and back onto the streets of the neighborhood. They trudged along the now uphill walk, a much slower process, and made their way back up through the winding street and eventually ended up at the alley that initially introduced them to the neighborhood.

They walked back past the back doors, garbage cans, fire escapes, and random trash laying around before ending back up on the storefront street. They took the same path back to the orphanage and headed up the pathway to the large wooden door at the top of the porch stairs.

Riley pushed the door open first and held it open for Ellie. "After you, Your Highness. Your food awaits."

"Why thank you peasant." She remained straight faced as she strutted slowly through the door with her nose held to the air.

She continued on to the eating room to find that the tables were a third filled, yet no food laid out. "Crap. Better not have missed it." She spotted Sam and Tino sitting on a couple of the chairs surrounding the board game table. "Hey. Lunch hasn't been served yet has it?"

"Not yet. Soon though." Sam kept his head lowered as he studied the small lettered tiles in front of him, occupied with trying to find the highest scoring word he could.

Tino was reclined in his chair and prepared for a long wait. His patience for Sam to play a move was far gone. "You guys barely made it. Where have you been anyway?"

Ellie spoke up before Riley had a chance to respond. "We just did our normal thing. Walked up and down the storefront street checking out what's new. Not much." She spotted Riley giving her a confused look out of the corner of her eye but ignored it. "How long have you been at this?"

"I swear an hour now. Sam here won't make a move."

"I'm concentrating."

"It's Scrabble! Just throw pieces down to make a word!" Tino groaned as he let his head fall against his chair. "See what I have to deal with here?"

"Well, you should know by now how Sam plays."

"I was gonna play with you, but you left before we even got up."

"We'll do it later. But for now, I think you're stuck."

"Lunch!"

The source of Evette's voice suddenly became the new focal point of everyone in the room. She laid out a couple of trays of food with not much in either. One held reheated frozen chicken nuggets and the other the leftover mashed potatoes from the night before. Alongside these were small milk cartons usually found in elementary or middle school cafeterias.

"Finally." Tino stood up quickly, clearly hungry, or perhaps anxious to escape the game.

Sam stayed put while the other three hurried over and lined up behind half of the orphanage already waiting. Tino lost his spot directly behind the girls to a few others.

As they slowly shuffled along Riley leaned in and whispered accusingly. "What's up with keeping the lake a secret, huh?"

"I just forgot to mention it. Why?"

"You're a terrible liar."

"That obvious?"

"Very."

"Whatever. I don't know, alright? They're my friends, but I just… don't want them intruding on our little haven area. We found it. It's ours."

Riley's surprised reaction turned into a smirk. "Wow. You're kind of a bitch, Ellie. I like it."

Ellie strained to keep her voice down. "I am not. Just drop it alright?"

"Alright, alright." Riley's smirk shifted to a grin as she threw her hands out apologetically.

Ellie grabbed her plate as they finally reached the front and slid it along the countertop. Evette's assistant scooped up some of the chicken nuggets and dropped them on her plate. She scooted down a station and Evette herself slopped the potatoes onto the other half of the plate.

The food must have caused a reaction on Ellie's face due to Evette speaking up. "Sorry darlin', it's all we got. Dinner will be a bit better."

"No, it's… fine. Thanks."

She continued sliding the plate down and grabbed one of the cartons near the end with her free hand while balancing the plate in her other. She navigated her way back to the table with Riley soon after her, and Tino soon after that.

They dug in with only minor hesitation and had managed to only get a few chicken pieces down and a couple spoonsful of potatoes before they saw the old man wandering out from his office. Edgar would periodically join them for dinner but would bring his own food for lunch. So to be seen outside his office at this time was unusual.

He hobbled over to the front of the eating area and cleared his throat.

"Excuse me everyone, I have something important to say." His voice wasn't strong at his age and didn't project well. Most kids failed to notice his presence and kept talking. "Please, quiet down!"

"Hey, listen up!" Evette's voice, once again, took control of the room.

"Thank you." The elderly man nodded at her. "As many of you may know, I've been the head of this orphanage for quite some time, and I love it dearly. But also, as you may have noticed, I'm not quite as young as I used to be. The work I do here, while physically easy, is mentally taxing on an old man like me. So… while I hate to announce this, I'm afraid-" His voice got stuck for a moment before he cleared it. "I'm afraid that I'm going to be stepping down from my role as caretaker here."

There was noticeable reaction to his declaration. Most kids were looking around amongst each other and murmuring quietly.

"I can see there's some confusion. I want to reassure you all that there won't be much changing within the orphanage. A new caretaker will be taking over on my behalf to keep this place running as smoothly as possible. I love what I do here, but, for my sake, I know I must step down. I wish the best of luck to you all and I hope every last one of you finds a loving family. That has always been my goal for these many years."

His stopped for another moment to take a deep breath and stop his voice from choking up. "Today will be my last day. I know it's sudden, but matters outside the orphanage have made it necessary. Tomorrow my replacement will be coming in to introduce themselves and to take the reins." He looked around sullenly before sighing. "Thank you everybody."

He stopped his speech and, as abruptly as he appeared, gently made his way back to his office. The room grew back to normal volume level when he disappeared around the corner into his room, though the change in dynamic was obvious.

"Well shit, that was unexpected."

"No kidding. He was a nice old guy. Hate to see him go."

Riley casually continued where she left off with her food. "But he's old. I don't blame him for wanting to stop working."

Tino had finished his food while Edgar was talking and simply waited for the other two to finish. "He definitely didn't want to stop. Seemed like he made that pretty clear."

They finished up their food and sat down back at the table where Sam was still sitting and apparently not hungry.

"There you are. Check this out." He dropped a few tiles onto the board and arranged them into the small square outlines. "There, 'Bayou,' ten points. Double word square makes that twenty."

"Seriously, it took you that long to lay that down? I mean, it's a good word, sure, but that… never mind. Doesn't matter." Tino, within just a few seconds, dropped a few of his own tiles onto the board and pushed them into place. "Fort, seven points. Triple letter square brings that to fifteen. Done, your turn. See how quick that was?"

"See how I'm still ahead?" He lowered his head again and studied the tiles.

Tino threw his head back against the chair and groaned. "This is madness."

The girls found it funny but wanted to avoid getting sucked into their game.

"Yeah, so, Ellie and I are gonna leave you guys to it."

"Fine, just leave me then."

"Have fun."

"I don't even know what that is anymore."

Riley smiled at his misfortune before leading Ellie over to the couch in front of the TV and collapsing onto it. Ellie fell onto it next to her, causing the couch to give off a straining sound from the collective abuse it's endured over the many years. Ellie grabbed the remote off the table in front of her and flipped through a handful of channels before giving up.

"Screw it, there's nothing good on. Never is." She looked at the sofa table off to Riley's right side. "Grab one of those magazines. Maybe something interesting in one of them."

Riley reached over and grabbed one of the stacks. She fanned them out in her hands and held them up in front of Ellie. "Choices are: Time, Nat Geo, Motor Trend, and something called Academy."

"I don't care." She pointed at one of them in a half-assed effort. "The yellow square one."

"You mean Nat Geo?"

"Whatever." She yawned and rested against Riley's shoulder, the exhaustion from their morning was just beginning to catch up to her. "Just read some of it to me."

"Really? I'm not exactly a storyteller."

"Well you're not exactly telling me a story."

"Actually I kind of-"

"Just… read it."

Riley rolled her eyes and contorted herself around the girl now half-asleep on her shoulder. "Alright. How about 'New Faces of Hunger'?"

"What's it about?"

"Um… about how rich countries still have hungry citizens."

"Depressing. Next."

"Okay… what about 'Inside the Sahara'?"

"Sure."

Riley felt a bit awkward about reading out loud, but the feeling quickly disappeared and she soon settled into a storytelling mode. She finished reading through the article and started up some more, most having to do with foreign policy or the local animal populace, neither of which were of any interest to her. The combination of disinteresting stories and that the person responsible for her reading them was already asleep on her shoulder forced her to give in to her own weariness.

The hours proceeded as normal as they slept on the couch. As dusk rolled around Tino woke them up for dinner, which was a hodgepodge mixture of leftovers and other Evette selected items. The four of them grabbed whatever was available and ate with the majority of the house, with the rare exception of Edgar.

A while after eating, lights out was called and they prepared themselves for the night. All thirty-some kids started shuffling into the same room, as if herded, and began occupying their beds. Both Sam and Riley took their places on the bottom and top respectively on the bed near the back.

Ellie walked down several rows of beds and one toward the window to take her bunk. She fell down onto the mattress and threw the sheets over her as she listened to the shuffling and general breathing noises from around the room.

She fell asleep thinking about the day's events and about Edgar's words, and what tomorrow held due to them.


	11. The New Caretaker

11;

The morning sun lit up the bedroom and all of its inhabitants as well as bringing with it an air of change in the orphanage. There was a new man sitting behind Edgar's desk, where Edgar himself was sitting only just yesterday and for the previous twenty three years.

The children slowly woke on their own terms as usual, some choosing to ready themselves for the day, others to lounge around with no particular goals. Most had chosen to drag themselves out of bed and slowly head out into the eating area, forced to pass by Edgar's office door along the way.

The new man at the desk would occasionally look up and give a smile to those he made eye contact with then quickly put his head down to keep working. His words had yet to make themselves heard.

"Well he's interesting." Tino put his plate on the table and took a seat where the girls were already eating. He woke up shortly after them and far before Sam.

"He didn't say anything to you, did he?" Tino shook his head. "Us neither. We walked by and said hi. He just… smiled, sort of." She shrugged. "I don't know, I guess we'll see what he says once everybody is up."

Sam, and a handful of others, were still sleeping when the man who was sitting behind the desk decided to emerge. He walked over to the dining area and stood in the same spot Edgar stood the day before when announcing his leaving.

"Hello everyone!" His accent was mild but instantly recognizable as southern. "I apologize for my rather terse greetings to you as you passed my office, that's if I said anything to you at all." He clapped his hands together. "So! Let's start with the introductions."

The man standing before them was above average in height, at least six feet, and was somewhat lanky considering his lesser weight. His head was full of grayish hair, with a few strands of black scattered throughout. His face was slightly gaunt, perhaps purely due to his age. He was very well dressed for such a job, likely trying to make a good first impression.

"My name is David Murphy, but feel free to call me David. Or should you prefer formality, Mr. M. will do fine." He gestured over to the office. "As you no doubt know, Mr. Halwell is no longer serving as the caretaker of this establishment. That responsibility falls to me now, and I must say I am excited to do so!"

A single voice rose out of the room, its location indiscernible to him. "Why did Edgar leave?"

"Good question! Unfortunately, I am currently unable to answer it. The reasons into his departure are not of open knowledge to myself, but I will inquire into the circumstances after I have settled in should you still wish at that time." He scanned the room, still unable to find who spoke up. "I hope this is sufficient for you."

He cleared his throat and continued on where he left off. "I'm not sure what Mr. Halwell said to you before he left, but I just want to assure you all that the operations of the orphanage will remain largely intact and unchanged. However, that's not to say that you won't see some changes over time. I am very interested in getting this place to be running as efficiently as possible and, from what I've found in the short time I've spent in the office looking over records, the financial situation here is rather…" He swirled a hand in the air while searching for the right word. "Restricted. I will see what I can do in that regard. I am also looking into the adoption and fostering rate. There's been a trend of gradual decline in the numbers for both, and I hope to rectify that to the best of my capabilities."

A grin from ear to ear spread across his face. "So, with that, I'd like to thank all of you for your attention! I will be in my office for most of the day, most days. Feel free to come by and introduce yourself or ask any questions you may have, I'll always have time for you." As he said this last word he tried to make his gaze as general as possible for the room. "Enjoy your day."

He spun in place without faltering and walked back to his office. In his absence the children slowly resumed what they were doing and the room took on its normal energy level.

"He seems fake." Riley commented without hesitation.

An look of confusion and obvious frustration instantly appeared on Tino's face. " Wait, what? Why?"

"I don't know. Something about the way he would said one thing but his face said something different. It seemed off."

"You can't judge someone after just a minute of listening to them. He just seems like an enthusiastic guy. Not sure why that would make you uncomfortable."

She half scowled at him for the subtle attack. "That doesn't make me uncomfortable, Tino. Just in general he did."

"Well he didn't for me. He seemed sincere." He turned his head slightly. "Ellie, what about you?"

"I really don't want to get in between you two."

"Come on, it's a simple question."

Ellie wasn't as confident in picking a side as the two of them had, but she did half a slight bias towards one. "Fine. Tino, you're right, you can't judge someone that quickly." Riley was about to object when Ellie cut her off. "But, with that said… I agree with Riley. Something about the way he spoke seemed odd."

"Of course you're siding with her."

"The hell does that mean?"

"It… nothing. But you're both still wrong."

"Chill the hell out Tino. You don't even know the guy and you're already taking his side."

"You don't either and you're still taking the opposite side."

"It's different."

"Sure." He exhaled and regained his composure. "Let's go talk to him then. He said he wanted us to introduce ourselves. I say we go do it."

She looked over at Ellie for approval and then back at Tino. "Fine. If it'll shut you up, then let's go talk."

Riley rolled her eyes in annoyance at Ellie after Tino had turned his back to them while heading toward the office. They walked through the doorway and positioned themselves in a line in front of the old wooden desk that's been there as long as Edgar had.

The room looked the same as before, right down to the pictures that hung from the wall and the several vases scattered throughout. One thing was different however, the nameplate on the desk was swapped out and now read 'Dr. David Murphy.'

The man looked up from his paperwork when he saw his three visitors. He laid his pencil down and shuffled his papers off to the side of his desk into a messy pile. The same grin as before spread across his face.

"Hello there! What can I do for you?"

Tino, as confident and stubborn as before, spoke first. "You said to come by if we wanted to introduce ourselves."

"Indeed I did."

"Well, my name is Tino." He gestured toward the girl closest to him, then the farthest. "This is Riley, and that's Ellie."

"Nice to meet you Tino." He glanced over at the other two. "You as well girls. Like I said before, my name is David Murphy, but I like to keep things on a personal level, so please just call me David."

Tino flashed a look at the girls, his intention obvious. "You said you were you going to try and improve things. Any chance we can recommend something?"

"Of course. You're the ones who know what can be improved around here since I only just arrived. What is it?"

"To be blunt, breakfast is bland. Any chance on adding some different food to the menu?"

David picked up the pencil again and scribbled something on his notepad. "Getting tired of the same old food, eh? Well, I'll do what I can, but managing finances is difficult. Especially here. I need to distribute it to the areas that I deem have the highest priorities first, but I'll definitely look into adding variety. But don't expect changes of that sort for a while. Just how it goes." His grin didn't change. "Anything else?"

Riley was observing the room while he spoke, disinterested in his breathy manner of speaking. She focused in on the plaque and found it odd. "Your nameplate says doctor. What kind, and why not mention it?"

"Riley right? Well, Riley, I don't enjoy formalities. It feels as if though I'm differentiating myself from my subordinates or those I look after, which includes you and everyone in this building. And as for your first question, I have a Ph.D. in education. I received my doctorate in a time long since forgotten, but the title stays with you for life I suppose." He let out a hearty chuckle. "Anything else?"

Tino looked over to the other two and spoke for the three of them. "I don't think so. We just wanted to introduce ourselves."

"Wonderful! Well I'm glad you came in. I like to know the people I'm working for on a personal level. And again, should you ever need anything, my door is always open."

The three made their way out of the office and back to the great room, taking one of the couches as their own. The two girls sat down while Tino stayed standing in front of them.

"So, what did I tell you? He's nice and he clearly wants to help." An arrogant tone was overpowering each of his words.

"Cut that shit out, Tino. Seriously. Yeah, he seems fine, but I'm still not convinced."

"Ellie, you didn't say anything in there. What do you think?"

Ellie's eyebrows turned upwards in an apologetic expression. "Sorry Riley, but I'm kind of leaning towards Tino with this one. I wasn't sure before, but for now at least he seems fine and he just wants to make this place better."

Riley scoffed and rolled her eyes at being the minority. She pushed herself off the couch and headed for the front door while keeping her sight straight ahead as she passed David's office.

Tino let out an exasperated groan. "What is her deal?"

"She's stubborn. That's just how she is. Once she has an idea in her head it's there for good." She looked over at the door. "I'll go talk to her."

She followed Riley's path through the hallway and out the front door of the building. The sun was still rising in the sky, the time not long since dawn, and my butts were thin and high with a slight tinge of orange to them. She spotted Riley sitting on a curb with her knees up to her chin and her arms wrapped around them.

Ellie took a spot next to her and copied her pose. "You alright?"

Riley's voice was louder than normal, forced by her frustration. "Tino just pisses me off sometimes. He's so damn arrogant."

"Tino says stupid stuff you don't like all the time. Why is this getting to you?"

Riley stayed quiet and stared off into the distance, incessantly tapping her feet. Ellie draped an arm around Riley's far shoulder to get her to ease up.

"Come on. Tell me."

Riley sighed and relaxed her voice. "I've dealt with false promises a lot in my life, okay? First it was my mom, then every one of my foster families. As soon as I was inconvenient for them, as soon as they realized that I was broken, they'd kick me out and give me back to the orphanage. Every fucking one of them."

She looked back at Ellie, now only inches away. "So that's why Tino is 'getting to me'. He's trusting this David guy too quickly, and he's too damn stubborn to listen."

"You're pretty stubborn too, you know?" Riley grunted at the accusation but didn't refute it. "Anyway, it's clear that you've been really hurt, but you can't live your life distrusting everyone." She looked away and back out over the street. "I'm not asking that you trust him, but at least don't treat everything he says as a lie. Besides not everybody does. You trust me right?"

"Of course… but you're not one of them."

"Them?"

Riley let her head fall back and closed her eyes. "Adults. Look, I don't expect you to understand. Just know that until he follows through on his word I'm going to assume he's lying to us."

Ellie let her arm around Riley fall off and used it to push herself up. "Fine. Just don't get me involved between you and Tino. You coming in?"

"In a bit."

Ellie walked back up the path and through the door. She looked inside David's office as she passed where he was still scribbling on his stack of papers, unaware of anything around him. She found Tino on the couch where she left him earlier, zoned out watching TV, and sat down against him.

"Well?"

"It's no use. Just… please don't go after each other."

"As long as she doesn't."

"Can't promise anything."


	12. Chapter 12

12;

"Good morning children! I know there are a handful of your friends still sleeping in the other room, so if you'd let them know what I say here I would appreciate it."

David stood motionless, his feet planted to the ground and body stiff. He managed to convey his movements through his arms and facial expressions only.

"I know it may be hard to believe, but it's been a little over a month and a half now since I've taken over as caretaker. Time flies doesn't it?" His chuckle could wake those even in a deep sleep. "I'm pleased to say there are some new faces here as well as some older ones absent. This is due to effort on my half to increase the fostering and adoption rates. Though they're better, they're still not where they could be, and I will continue to improve them as best I can. I'd also like to announce the second of, hopefully, many more changes."

He gestured over toward the dining room. "When the time strikes, I'm sure you'll notice the different options you're presented with for breakfast." He glanced over at Tino who was watching intently. "Based on a suggestion the day I arrived I managed to work the budget to allow some new items for breakfast. It won't be like this every day, but do expect it at least once a week." His grin reappeared. "I hope this is pleasing to most of you. I'll keep doing what I can to improve this place, so expect more changes soon!" He spun in place and disappeared through the door and back into his office.

Tino was mostly boastful at this point while staring straight at Riley. "See, what'd I tell ya? I suggested something and he did it. He's cool."

"It took him a month to get us breakfast. So what?"

"Just admit you're wrong."

Riley ignored him and thought out loud. "Why couldn't Edgar do that the entire time he was here?"

"I don't know, maybe he just wasn't good with money. Why does that matter?"

Riley stood up and heading to the kitchen door, ignoring Tino's question once again.

He threw his hands out in disbelief. "What are you doing?"

"Relax. I'm just going to ask Evette what she's serving."

"What does that matter?"

"I want to know what food your superhero got for us."

"I swear…"

"Come on, Ellie."

Without hesitation Ellie jumped up from her seat and jogged over to Riley as she was walking to the kitchen door, the two of them leaving Tino behind in frustration at the table. They made their way through the eating area and into the small adjacent hallway, opening the door on their left into the kitchen.

It was still half an hour until breakfast was to be served and most of the food was still in their skillets and pots, one of which was being stirred by the hand of Evette's assistant and another by a man they didn't recognize. He wasn't much taller than the girls and he had a hairnet on that was transparent enough to see through to his short brown hair.

Riley quickly glanced around the kitchen and then straight at the new man. "Who the hell are you?"

He spun around, surprised by the sudden question from nowhere. "My name is James. Who are you?"

"Riley. Where's Evette?"

"I've been assigned as her replacement."

"...replacement?"

"Also children aren't allowed in here. Please leave."

The girls stood there for a moment in confusion before Ellie tugged at Riley prompting them both to leave the kitchen.

Ellie exited first and started her way back toward the great room. "What the hell, where's Evette? She was just here yesterday."

The lack of a response forced her to turn around and to spot Riley walking the other direction towards the basement door. She watched as she twisted the knob and tugged on it.

Riley turned around and scoffed. "It's locked. Of course it is. We need to go talk to David."

"Why?"

"I guarantee he did this. I want to know why."

"What about Tino?"

"Leave him. He'd just take his side."

Ellie sighed as she figured it'd be impossible to persuade Riley otherwise and followed her into David's office.

Riley's voice was forceful and full of blatant accusation. "What happened to Evette?"

The sudden noise caused David to recoil in his chair and grab hold of his desk. "Jesus girls, you can't come barging in like that. You'll give a man a heart attack." He closed a notebook he was scribbling in and pushed it to the side with the pencil laid atop.

"Evette."

He grinned again though with less enthusiasm. "Hello Riley, Ellie. I'm happy to speak with you, but please lose the attitude. It won't do you any favors."

Riley stayed quiet and kept staring down the man. Ellie nervously alternated her focus back and forth between the two of them.

"Yes, about Evette. The thing about working with finances is that sometimes decisions have to be made that aren't quite… popular in order to ensure that we can stay within the budget. Unfortunately, Evette was an expense that we could no longer afford. She refused a pay cut so I let her go and hired on James to take over her position. He'll also be working around the building doing whatever tasks are required."

"And how'd you manage the new breakfast if money is tight?"

"Because, Riley, I've known James for some time now. He's worked for me before and he happily does his job for less. He's quite good as well. With the money I saved with his hiring I was able to add a couple of things to breakfast and still come out ahead. Understand?"

"He kicked us out of the kitchen."

"I'm not surprised." David let out a small chuckle. "James is a peculiar man."

"He's an asshole."

"He may be lacking in his social capabilities, and is quite strict for rules, but I'd appreciate it if you didn't insult him, he's a good man. If he kicked you out, don't take it personally. It's just how he is."

Ellie spoke up from the side, breaking off from her observational position. "What about the basement door? Why is it locked?"

David took a deep breath and leaned forward from his chair, arms resting on his desk. "The basement is the cook's responsibility. Since it is James's now, if he wants to keep it locked, that's his prerogative. Besides, there should be no reason you're going down there. Anything else I can answer for you?"

Ellie thought for a moment and shook her head. Riley chose to be more vocal and direct. "No."

He leaned back against his chair. "Good!" He grabbed his pencil and slid his notebook back in front of him. "Now get along. Breakfast will be served soon."

They were verbally forced out of the office and took a spot near the opening to the great area.

Riley crossed her arms at the situation. "Bullshit. Everything he says is bullshit." She hastily moved her way over to Tino who was still sitting on the couch. "Hey Tino, your buddy in there fired Evette because of you."

Tino quickly leaned up in annoyance from the sudden accusation. "What are you talking about?"

"Because of your stupid suggestion about breakfast he fired Evette and hired some freak to take over. Happy?"

"Jesus Riley, calm down. No I'm not happy, but if David replaced Evette I'm sure he has a good reason, alright? I liked Evette too, but it's not like you two were friends. I've been here longer than you and, if anything, she and I were closer than you two were. Why are you taking this so personally?"

Riley paused and bit her lip while she thought. "Fuck, I don't know. All I know is that there's something messed up about him and you're not seeing it."

A pair of hands rested themselves on both of Riley's shoulders. She turned around and looked up to see the face they belonged to.

"Riley, please come with me." David heard the commotion between the two of them and came to investigate. He led her with one hand against her back toward, not his office, but the basement door.

"Don't touch me." Riley shrugged her shoulders causing his hand to fall away. "Where the hell are we going?"

"We need to discuss your actions."

Ellie cut in, her voice nervous yet serious. "Where are you taking her?"

"Ellie, I know you two are friends, but you need to stay here. We're just going to talk."

"In the basement?"

"Ellie, please."

He turned his back to her and continued leading Riley down the small hallway. He unlocked the basement door with a key that he produced from his pocket and led her through.

The old water damaged basement was cleaner than before. A majority of the debris had been removed and the pile of chairs that once lain in the center of the room were upright and side by side. David forwent flipping the light switch on the way in, choosing instead to let the scattered rays from the windows be the room's only source of visibility.

He sat her at one of the chairs in the middle of the room and stood in front of her, his usual outgoing enthusiasm clearly missing. His posture was straight and his presence imposing.

"Riley, we clearly have an issue between us." Riley scoffed at the understatement. "Yes, well, since I first arrived I don't I've ever done anything to warrant that. Have I?"

"Why are we down here?" She glared at him from her seat.

He ignored her. "I thought not. I am a very understanding person, Riley. I've let your less than positive comments and general dislike for me slide for the past month, but I've noticed it getting worse. So if we're going to have an issue then I'm afraid that I will resort to… disciplinary methods. Do you understand?"

"Fuck you." David inhaled sharply and exhaled slowly. "You got rid of Evette. You gonna get rid of me too? Is that why we're down here?"

"I didn't get rid of Evette, Riley, she was replaced. I told you this. Surely you must be able to comprehend this most simple of concepts."

"You're so full of shit."

He paused for a moment and carefully selected his next words. "It's not surprising no one wants you."

Those few simple words managed to suck the air out of her lungs. She sat there motionless with a pressure growing in her forehead.

"I looked through your record the other day, Riley, and apparently you've been fostered out seven times in nine years. That's impressive. And yet every single one of them returned you right back to the orphanage. Like a faulty object to a store."

He paced back and forth then returned his focus on the girl. "Look Riley, I've tried to be nice to you, I have, but it's clear you're not going to reciprocate that effort. So here's what going to happen. You're going to stay in that chair. You're not going to get up, you're not going to walk around. If you do, you'll extend your stay down here. Understand?"

Her glare was full of hate but she slowly nodded her head.

"Good. I'm going to continue about my day, and you're going sit here until your attitude improves." He stood there unmoving for a few seconds longer to let his words sink in. He turned and headed up the wooden stairs, locking the door behind him and leaving Riley in the dim room.

Ellie watched from the great room as David reappeared from the basement without Riley. She ran over and stopped him before he could round the corner to his office.

"Where is she? What did you do to her?"

He stopped and turned to face the girl who confronted him. A slight smile spread across his face. "Ellie." He put a hand on her shoulder to calm her but she shook it off immediately. "I'm sure you've noticed that Riley has been a little confrontational lately, and that's perfectly normal for some to go through occasionally."

He looked back toward the door and then back to Ellie. "I simply put her in a… well let's call it a timeout. Your friend's fine. Once she's able to control her emotions a little better she's free to come out. Don't worry about it!" He shuffled off before she could get any retort in.

She stood dumbfounded for a few seconds before glaring over at Tino. "He put a teenage girl in a timeout. You don't think that's completely screwed up?"

Tino seemed apprehensive but pushed through with an exhale. "It seems weird, yeah, but she really went overboard after finding out about Evette. She yelled at me over nothing."

"She's locked in the damn basement, Tino!"

"He has a good reason!" He took a slow breath and stopped himself from continuing the argument. "Yelling at each other isn't going to get her out of there any faster. We're just gonna have to wait."

"This is ridiculous."

"It might be a while. But for now I'm going to get breakfast, it should be out in a minute. You coming with?"

"No."

"Come on. There's no point in not eating right now. You could use it."

She moved her focus away from the locked door and back onto Tino. She sighed and nodded and followed Tino over to one of the middle tables.

"Where's Sam anyway?"

"No idea."

The loud sounds of two trays being dropped onto the counter emanated from the side of the room. The man with the hairnet and Evette's assistant laid out the standard fare, one with eggs and the other toast. The new third tray was lined with simple quarter dollar pancakes. Not much, but it was something different. The two of them lined up and grabbed all three items as well as the milk that was available for every breakfast.

Ellie left the food untouched and only drank the small carton of milk. She ceaselessly rolled her fingers against the table as she kept watch on the corner of the wall that blocked her view from the basement exit.

Tino was eating his way through the contents of his plate and occasionally watched her in between bites. "Thought you were gonna eat."

"I'm saving it. She might be hungry when she gets out."


	13. Chapter 13

13;

Riley sat alone in the middle of the musty basement on a rusty chair that looked like it could easily be from the fifties. She glanced up to the dangling light bulbs hanging from their wires along the length of the ceiling, frustrated at their silence.

She analyzed the room and observed few differences from the time that she was down here some five months earlier. The walls were still stained two different colors and some metal shelving now lined a small section of it. The food cooler in the corner now had a combination lock attached to its latch.

The chairs were the biggest change in the room that she noticed. Instead of some being randomly stacked and others fallen over, they were now lined up side by side.

"'It's not surprising no one wants you'… what the hell does he know?" His words dug deep and dislodged some unwanted past memories and allowed them free reign in her head.

Her memories of that night her mother was killed were vague, but the outcome drastically changed her life. Being only six she was unable to fully comprehend what was occurring and quickly became withdrawn. She was forced around by strangers until eventually thrown into a building with other children like her, her mother nowhere to be found. She'd often keep her distance from the others as she watched them run around and play with each other. Making friends was undesirable as was talking in its entirety.

Despite her detached personality, a couple gave her a chance not long after she was admitted to the orphanage and brought her home. She turned eight while in their care, but it wasn't without its stress. The parents were having a difficult time coping with their new foster daughter's extensive apathy. After several months of effort they decided that it was best they bring her back.

Her tenth birthday took place within the confines of the orphanage, celebrated by few others and some of the staff. Not long after, she met with an older couple looking for another daughter to join their already large foster family. They had a conversation with her and the caretaker Sara which soon after lead to Riley moving into a new home. Due to her only experience with familial living being short lived, she assumed it was normal. Sure enough she ended up back at the orphanage only months later.

Over the next six years she would find herself in and out of homes almost on a yearly basis. She expected nothing out of any of her new homes and slowly began to act out at those who were interested in her. Growing into her teens only intensified her emotions and, detrimentally, her actions. She would verbally lash out at anyone she believed was like the others who didn't want her, and to her they were all like the others.

The occurrences in which she was fostered out reduced considerably due to her age and attitude. By the time she turned fourteen she had been through seven different families, each one incrementally dealing with an increasingly troubled girl. None of them wanted her.

Every action throughout her life all of their subsequent consequences had led her to this very moment, locked up in a dark basement and left at the mercy of her memories. She slumped back against her chair, sitting motionless, letting the same sequence of thoughts play through her mind over and over.

By the time the door reopened and shot forth a thin sliver of light against her, the repetitious cycle had slowed itself to a stop, but not before leaving her exhausted.

A voice came from a silhouette that was now standing in the doorway at the top of the stairs. "Are you ready to join us again?"

She peered up at him with her head still down. "Yes."

"Can you keep your attitude under control?"

Her answer came quicker and more hostile. "Yes."

"Very well."

The silhouette shifted to the side, leaving just enough room for her to pass by. Riley struggled to her feet and sluggishly made her way up the stairs that creaked under every step. She walked through the door, passing uncomfortably close to David, and walked down the narrow hallway.

She had made it only a few steps past its walls before she was attacked by Ellie. The freckled girl ran up and wrapped her arms tightly around her which caught her off guard. Riley stood startled for a moment before managing to return to the gesture.

Ellie eased on her grip and leaned back. "Are you okay? He didn't do anything to you did he?"

Riley shook her head and looked over toward the front hallway. "Can we just get out of here?"

She followed her gaze and then turned back to her. "Do you want any food first? I saved you some."

"I'm not hungry."

"Okay." Ellie sympathetically nodded and pulled her arms free from around Riley.

She grabbed her hand and led the two of them into the bedroom and through the second and third row of beds until they reached Ellie's bed.

Ellie dropped onto the bottom bunk first and scooted to the far side. She patted the empty spot next to her which prompted Riley to crawl in beside her and nestle her head against Ellie's shoulder.

"What happened in there?"

Riley had her eyes shut and spoke after a long pause. "I really don't know… he got to me somehow, with just a few words. I've never given a give a shit about what people think about me, but it was just the way he said it."

"What'd he say?" Ellie waited a moment for a response and realized what she said. "Sorry, don't answer that."

"He said, 'It's not surprising no one wants you.'"

"…really? Well he's clearly an asshole." They both managed a chuckle under their breaths. "But really, that's it? Obviously he's wrong."

"See, that's the thing though. I don't know that he is."

"Riley."

"Think about it. Would I be in here if just one person did?"

"…it's possible."

Ellie's defeated tone caused Riley to reflect on her words. "Sorry. You know I didn't mean it like that."

"I know."

"I just…I hate myself for letting him get to me."

"Well screw him, right?"

"Right." There was a moment of silence before Riley sprang open her eyes and stared straight at Ellie. "We should get him back."

"Wait, what? How?" Her first question came off as a surprise, the second as suspicious.

Riley flipped onto her back and stared at the bottom of the bunk. She bit her lip and darted her eyes back and forth in thought. "I don't know yet. I'll think of something."

"Look, as much as I'd love to help you get back at him, and trust me I do, you need to think about it first. The entire place is under his control, hell I wouldn't be surprised if James is too. He'd just do the same thing to you again if he found out you were trying something. Maybe worse."

"It's stupid I know, but I don't care. Not anymore."

Ellie let out a soft sigh. "Riley, just give yourself a day to rest. If you still feel like you want to tomorrow, then… we can talk about it."

Riley half-smiled at her. "You're not hard to convince are you?"

"Not when it comes to you." She smirked at Riley and the two stared at each other for a moment before Ellie's focus suddenly shifted toward the middle of the room. "That's weird."

"What?"

"Sam's not in his bed."

"Why is that weird?"

"He wasn't at breakfast. I watched the hallway the entire time you were in there and I never saw him. I thought he was still sleeping, but apparently not."

"Maybe you just missed him?"

"I don't think so. I'll ask Tino if he's seen him." She winced after hearing herself say his name. "Crap, sorry."

"It's fine. But to be honest, you're probably going to be the only one of us talking to him. I've had enough of him for a while." She shut her eyes and rolled back onto her side facing the edge of the bed.

"Fair enough. I'm gonna go ask, you coming?"

Riley grunted. "Nah, I'm tired. How long was I in there anyway?"

"Few hours, I think."

"Seemed like an eternity… thanks for waiting."

"Of course. Get some rest."

Ellie crawled her way over Riley and off of the bed. She tiptoed out of the room as quietly as she could and passed by David's office as she made her way to the great room. She ignored him and continued walking until she reached Tino, who was sitting at one of the tables playing solitaire, and sat next to him.

He was focused on his game, unconcerned for much else. "Hey."

"Hey? That's it?"

"What?"

Ellie exhaled and decided to drop it. "Never mind. Have you seen Sam?"

"Not since yesterday."

"Me neither. Where would he be?"

"How should I know? Maybe he… went over to the stores, or something. I'm trying to play a game here."

"Pretty sure he would say something if he did."

Tino set down his cards turned his focus onto Ellie who clearly wasn't going to let up with the questions. "What do you want from me, Ellie?"

"Relax. I don't want anything from you. I just find it odd."

"Then go ask David. He might know."

She glanced over at his office door. "That's not happening." She stared back at him with her eyebrows raised.

He sighed realizing her reluctance. "Fine, I'll go ask. Just let me finish this hand."

"Thanks. I'm gonna rest, so let me know."

She left Tino at his table and headed back to her bed, but passed it by when she found that Riley had fallen asleep on it. She continued onto Riley's own bunk and climbed it to the upper bed. She let her head hit the pillow and threw an arm over her eyes to block out the midday sun that was pouring through the windows.

As silence returned, Tino returned his focus onto the game on the table in front of him. He dealt himself out another several games and succumbed to defeat on the fourth. He dropped the cards onto the others and headed into David's office wanting to get the question out of the way.

He reached the door and peaked his head around the corner. "Got a second?"

David again put down his pencil and closed his notebook. "Yes, Tino. What is it?"

"I was talking to-" He stopped himself, not wanting to get either of the girls involved. "Sam yesterday, but I haven't seen him today. Have you heard or seen anything?"

He paused for a second, seemingly to collect his thoughts. "Ah yes, Sam." He reached behind the desk and pulled out one of the metal drawers. He pulled from it a manila envelope and opened its top with one fluid motion and laid its contents in front of Tino. "Sam Thompson. Placed into a foster family just this morning. I'm very happy for him. Did he not say anything to you?"

"Uh, no, actually. He didn't mention anything about it. This morning?" He shuffled through a few of the papers but wasn't sure what he was looking at.

"Indeed. The process had been in the works for a while and today was its completion date. I'm sorry to hear that he didn't tell you, but you should be happy for him regardless."

"Yeah, I guess so. I would've liked if he had just said… something. Anything."

David didn't try to console him any further and instead chose to just grin. "Anything else?"

Tino shook his head and started for the door. "That's it."

As he made his way out of the room he could hear the folder being closed and the metal grinding as the drawer was shut. Both of the noises were unsettling as as he knew the only physical proof that Sam ever existed was being shut away.

He walked in a slight daze to Ellie's bed, which he quickly discovered was occupied, and moved onto Riley's where he found Ellie on the top bunk.

He grabbed the bed frame and shook it. "Ellie."

She grunted from the sudden disruption and let her arm fall from her face, the onrush of light partially blinding her. "What?"

"About Sam."

"...Sam? Oh, yeah. Did you ask?"

"Yeah."

"What'd he say?"

"Apparently Sam was fostered out to a family this morning. I guess before we even woke up."

Ellie was still disoriented from her sudden awakening. "What? Seriously?"

"That's what David said."

"Well why wouldn't Sam have said anything?"

"I don't know. I mean, we all talk to each other every day and he just leaves out this huge thing?"

"Maybe he didn't know before this morning."

"Never heard of that happening before. Besides, David said the process took some time… no idea."

Ellie let her head fall back against the pillow with an exhale. The scenario gathered in her mind and attempted to reach some sort of equilibrium of comprehension.

"Me neither. Thanks for asking."

"Yeah. Sure."


	14. Chapter 14

14;

"I know he's lying."

"Look, I think so too, but what if we're wrong? What if what's on the surface is all there is and Sam really got fostered out yesterday? Maybe he just kept quiet about it."

The girls were again window shopping the stores along store front street that they hadn't already gotten involved with. A thick layer of butts hung in the air and brought with them a slight breeze. Winter wasn't far off and the clothing they wore, even their jackets, would soon be insufficient.

Riley stopped walking and had a pleading look in her eyes. "Ellie, I need you to believe me."

"I do." Her voice quieted. "Mostly."

Riley sighed and broke her gaze. "I get it, you're unsure. I just need something to convince you."

She stared through the store window intensely trying to conceive of an idea. A large butt floated its way under the sun and manifested a shadow down the entire street. The temperature dropped quickly and sent a chill through their jackets and up their skin.

She spun back around with her eyes wide. "Notebook."

"Huh?"

"His notebook. He constantly writes in that damn thing but always closes it whenever we go into his office. I bet we could find something in there."

"I really doubt he would keep a record of stuff he would want to keep secret."

"I know… but I think it's worth a shot, don't you?"

"Is it really? He locked you in the basement… and what he said. I don't know what he'd do if he caught us trying to steal his stuff. Especially with our reasons."

"Well that's why we're not going to get caught. I know it's asking a lot, Ellie, but please."

Ellie gazed at her for a moment before letting out a groan. "Fine. I can't believe how weak I am." She stuck a finger at her. "But if we don't find anything then you have to give this up. All of it."

"Deal. Thank you. Now I guess we just have to figure out how to get it."

"We. Fantastic. Any ideas?"

Riley spoke slowly and braced herself for a reaction from Ellie. "I do have one."

"...that doesn't sound good."

Riley held up her pinky finger with a silver ring hanging around it. "We can do what we normally do when we grab these guys."

She thought for a moment about what she meant. "I don't get it. Steal it? I thought that's what we're doing anyway."

"I'm not going to steal it, that'd be stupid if we kept it with us. I meant we do what we normally do when we steal these things."

"As in… oh come on, seriously? You want me to distract David?"

"I think it'd work. Unless you can think of something else."

Ellie sighed with her eyes closed. "I'll think about it. Let's just finish our browsing. I'd like to enjoy my last day of freedom before he sticks us both in that basement."

"Not funny."

She returned the serious disposition. "Wasn't supposed to be."

"I know this is risky, stupid too, but if anyone gets caught it'll be me. I'll be the one in his office doing the dirty work so you can deny being a part of it. Cool?"

"Yeah cool. But how about you just don't, you know… get caught. Like at all."

"I don't plan to. Just be as good as you normally are and I won't."

They finished their lap up and down both sides of the street and headed back out on to the main street and towards the orphanage. They stopped on the sidewalk outside and sat on the curb, preparing for what's next.

"So, how are we doing this?"

"You'll just need to distract him and get him out of his office for a bit. Once he's out I'll sneak in and go through his notebook and see what I can find. Simple."

Ellie scoffed at her casualness about it. "Simple."

"Well the plan is at least. Just give me as much time as you can. I'll be in and out."

"And how am I getting him out of his office?"

"I'm sure you'll think of something."

"Yeah, I don't think so. You're dragging me into this, you're gonna help me with it."

Riley chuckled at the reaction. "It was worth a shot. Um… you could start a fight."

"I think that's more your thing."

"It could be our thing."

"Yeah… no. Keep thinking."

"I don't know then. Just make some loud noises or something."

"That's… actually not bad."

"What? Really?"

"No not really, it was bad, but it helped me think of one. I'm ready."

Riley looked at Ellie with an obvious look of confusion as to her mystery plan. Ellie ignored it, got up, and walked up to the front door. She put her hand on the doorknob and turned around.

"Ready?"

"I don't even know what we're doing."

"Just do your part and I'll do mine."

"…okay."

Ellie finished twisting the knob and pushed the large wooden door open and walked straight past David's office without so much as a glance. They parked themselves as far from the office as they could in the small cubby near the back corner of the house where the staff slept. Ellie nodded her head and took a dive. She hit the ground and grabbed at her ankle while letting out a yell.

Riley stood baffled until Ellie told her to go in an impatient command. She understood and ran back to David's office and up to his desk. "Ellie's hurt, she needs help!"

"What? Where is she?"

"By the TV."

David pushed himself out of his chair and hurriedly made his way past the girl and to the other. When he turned the corner he saw several other orphans already surrounding her and a few others looking on in interest.

"Ellie, what is it?"

"I tripped. I think I twisted my ankle."

Riley watched from the doorway of the office as David disappeared around the corner toward the groaning girl. She quickly ran around the desk and started pushing around stacked papers looking for the notebook or anything obvious.

She moved quietly, whispering under her breath. "Come on, where is it?"

"Where does it hurt?" David knelt down next to Ellie and felt the side of her ankle.

Ellie inhaled sharply. "Yeah, right there."

"Sorry!"

"Do you think it's broken?"

"I don't think it is, fortunately for you. I think you may have just sprained it."

"It's gotta be here somewhere..." Riley started pulling out the drawers only to come across folder after folder. She was hastily searching every corner she could, though carefully enough to ensure she wasn't leaving a trail of evidence.

"I think it might need to be wrapped. Do you have something for that?"

"Of course! Don't move, I'll grab the first aid."

David headed for the kitchen which sent a panic through Ellie due to how easily he could have went back towards his office. Fortunately he kept straight and disappeared through the kitchen door.

Riley pushed aside even more folders and a stack of papers in the bottom right drawer of his desk. The brown upper corner of the notebook shown through the mess which Riley immediately grabbed and dropped onto the desk.

"Finally. Let's see what this asshole's hiding."

She flipped through moderately quickly, no faster than her ability to take in the summary of each page would allow. It mostly revealed day to day notes of the goings-on of the orphanage, much of it expenses and the rest mostly inventory or personal notes.

"There, that should do it. How's it feel?"

Ellie very slowly rotated her foot in a circle in order to buy as much time as possible. She looked up and nodded at the man knelt at her side. "Still hurts, but that should help."

"Good. I'll help you up." He extended a hand which Ellie very hesitantly reached for and was pulled up to her feet. She played it out and made sure to keep off the 'injured' foot by slightly hovering it.

"Excellent! Just make sure to not put any weight on it for a while, okay? The last thing you want is a broken ankle."

He oddly chuckled at his own advice to which Ellie made sure to feign a smile. She again began to panic as he turned and started to walk off.

"Uh, David! What should I… should I put anything on it, or what?"

Riley flipped through page after page of notes. She stopped hard on one page and flipped it back several after overshooting something that slightly stood out than the rest. Large bold numbers were written in the upper corner of a page, different than the style of the rest of them.

"17, 53, 6. Huh."

The numbers were of no importance or relevance, but she kept repeating them to herself as they were the only thing out of place in the entire book that she could find. She dropped the notebook back into the drawer and covered it again with the piles of paper and folders that had initially hid it and slammed the whole thing shut.

"Nope, not for a sprained ankle. It'll be just fine on its own, just make sure to keep it elevated on a pillow. Don't worry." With a smile he turned and headed back toward the office.

Riley shoved the rest of the drawers in and hurried around the desk and out the door. As David rounded the corner back to his office he caught a glimpse of the back of a heel heading into the bedroom area but thought nothing of it. He sat at his chair and reached into the bottom drawer and pulled the journal out, un-noticing of anything peculiar. He grabbed his pencil and continued where he left off before being pulled away a few minutes earlier.

Ellie made sure to hobble as she headed back to the bedroom. She was worried that she was about to see David and Riley talking about why she was in his office but was relieved when she turned the corner and it was perfectly quiet. She continued to favor her foot as she reentered the bedroom.

She spotted Riley sitting on the bottom bunk of her own bed rolling her fingers along the pillow. Riley spotted her at the entrance and grinned harder the closer she got.

Ellie sat next to her and let out a large exhale. "Holy shit that was intense. You owe me huge for that."

"Yeah, I know. Just add it to the list."

Ellie held her bandaged foot out and wiggled it. "You should have seen me out there. I was pretty amazing."

"Did he actually wrap your foot? That's hilarious."

"I know! Isn't it?"

Riley responded with the same tone of accomplishment. "And I don't doubt that you were for a second. But let's be honest now, I think I deserve some serious praise for actually going through David's desk."

"I still can't believe you did that." Her smile disappeared and her face turned more curious. "Did you find anything?"

Riley sighed and fell the rest of the way back onto the bed. "Nothing really. By the time I could hear David finishing up I was barely done scanning his journal thing."

"After all that too. Can't say I'm sorry you didn't find anything though. I'm glad you didn't actually. I mean, maybe he's just an asshole and that's it."

"Yeah, maybe."

"Wait, what did you mean by nothing really? You made it sound like you found something."

"Well, there were these numbers on one of the pages. They sorta looked out of place so I memorized them."

"And?"

"17, 53, 6. Mean anything to you?"

"Nah. What was the rest of the book like?"

"Bunch of financial stuff and inventory amounts. Nothing interesting."

They both remained quiet after a tiring effort that ultimately ended up fruitless.

Ellie fell onto her back as well and pushed against Riley to get some room on the bed for herself. "Hey, you know what? It sounds like a password or something."

"The numbers?"

"Yeah."

"What, like a pin number?"

"Something like that. Think of anything around here that uses a password?"

Riley shut her eyes in concentration. "His computer maybe."

"I don't think I've ever seen him use it."

"True."

"What about the basement door. It's locked."

"Yeah, but he's got a regular key for th- oh shit!" Her eyes shot open and she smiled at her realization. "I bet it's the cooler door. It's got a padlock on it."

Ellie passed it off for a brief second as unlikely but immediately came around. "Well if it does, you might be right."

"Of course I am. But we still have to figure out how the hell we're gonna get down there."

"Well…"

"Well… what?" Ellie looked at her as though it was obvious, which caused it to click in Riley's head. "Fuck no, you're kidding right? I'm not gonna do anything to piss David off again and get kicked down there. Keep thinking."

"Yeah, I didn't' think so. Sorry. But you were just there, did you see anything?"

Riley let her eyes go out of focus and pictured the room again. "Uh, windows maybe. If they're not locked we might be able to get in through there."

Ellie gradually nodded. "Assuming one of them is open. We'll have to climb down the hole things."

"You're really getting into this."

"Maybe a little." They stared at each other for a second before they both bust out in a grin. "I can't help it! This is the only interesting thing I think I've ever done in this place. Beats the hell out of just sitting around waiting for nothing."

"Yeah…"

"Anyway, when do you want to head down there?"

"Why not tonight? Sneak out after curfew when it's pitch black out."

"Tonight it is."

Riley leaned up and cracked her back with a satisfying stretch. "Thanks for going along with this. I know it seems kind of…"

"It's cool. Like I said, it's better than nothing."

"And if there's nothing down there then I'll shut up and you can brag all you want."

"You know I will."


	15. True Colors

15;

Riley was nudged out of her sleep, unable to see anything except a hazy bluish light coming from the windows and a couple of dim nightlights scattered around the room. A whisper against her ear sobered her up in an instant.

"I knew you'd fall asleep."

They slept in the same bunk for the night, Riley still on top and Ellie on the bottom where Sam usually slept. They didn't want to risk rousing any others in the room by walking across it to waken the other.

"What time is it?"

"Around two. What does it matter? Let's go."

Riley quietly groaned and slid her feet off the side of the bed. She gently eased herself off, trying to reduce the noise of the sound of the bed coils retracting, and dropped onto the floor where Ellie was waiting.

They snuck through the room on the balls of their feet and stopped next the doorway of the room. Riley peaked her head around the corner and scouted for any movement before motioning Ellie forward.

They continued around the corner and up to the entrance door and slowly undid its locks. They leaned into the door and slipped themselves through the smallest gap they could manage and shut it behind them once on the other side.

They entered a cold night where a breeze was making its way freely through the air. Its darkness was broken by the reflection of the crescent moon whenever unobscured by the quick moving butts. The area directly around the orphanage was bare, populated mostly by trees and a single empty road sparsely spotted with the occasional street light.

Once outside they moved more freely with less concern for noise. After several quick strides down the pathway they cut to the left and headed across the lawn and around the corner to where the holes were dug alongside the wall. They reached the first one and peered down into it.

"Stay here and keep a look out." Riley climbed down the small rusted ladder and reached the bottom of the eight foot drop. She laid her hands against the window and pushed up at different angles. "Damn it."

She turned around and climbed back up to where Ellie was still scanning the area. "Locked."

"Not surprising."

Riley moved onto the next hole, climbed down again, and pressed against the glass with her hands and pushed up. With enough force the stubbornness of the window gave way with a sudden jerk, catching Riley off guard. It was heavy and creaked as she pushed it up the rest of the way.

She called with a whisper to the top of the hole. "Come on. I can't hold it for long."

Ellie took one last look around and climbed down next to her. She took a wide step over the bottom frame of the window and let her feet touch the hard cement on the other side. Riley followed her in and turned around to slowly let the window down.

The basement looked the same, though with hardly any light reaching its interior the atmosphere became much more unsettling. They both crept over to the cooler door and knelt down to look at the lock.

Riley put her face within inches of it and let her eyes adjust a little longer in order to make out the tick marks along its dial. "Here goes nothing."

She spun around the numbers to the combination she found in the notebook and paused for a moment before pulling down. The lock clicked and fell loose in her hands. She turned it around, guided the lock arm out of the door, and laid it on the ground.

"Surprised that worked. Ready?"

"Just hurry up and open it."

Riley pulled the door open releasing a wave of chiller air than in the basement. Ellie reached in and patted the wall on the inside several times before finding the light switch and flipping it up. A small torrent of blinding light flooded out of the small room.

Riley was the first to regain her composure. "What the hell?"

The cooler looked almost no different than the first time. Shelves still lined the walls, stacked with the food needed for the orphanage, but there was one small difference. Under the single light bulb hanging from the ceiling sat an old rusted chair. Likely one from the pile in the middle of the basement. It was perfectly centered in the room and faced outwards toward the door.

"I have no idea." Ellie's breathing grew unsteady. "I don't like this."

"Me neither. Let's just do this quickly and get out of here."

They both moved inside of the cooler and started checking the shelves for anything that stood out. Riley searched the right side and Ellie the left, both looking under boxes and behind bags.

Riley turned around with a defeated tone. "Nothing. You?"

"Same. Just a bunch of-" She pushed aside one of the large bag of potatoes and found a worn pad. "…wait, found something."

Riley turned around to see her holding the small pad in her hand. "A notebook? Is it the same one from his office?"

"It's different."

She flipped it open and, instead of finding notes of day to day events like she expected, found the pages filled with tables and data. Most of the later pages were empty except for the first few which were hand written and difficult to read. The girls stared with confusion at what they were looking at.

"What is this?"

Ellie followed along the top of the page with her finger, each heading was written in its own box.

"Name, Date, Drug, Symptoms, Duration…?" She read through the first two rows in their entirety. "Jessica Turner, July 13th, Strychnine, Muscle Convulsions and Asphyxiation, 3 hours; Daniel Summers, July 30th, Yperite, Swelling and Skin Burns, 74 hours… what the-" before she could finish her question the sound of a key pushing against a lock's tumblers came from behind them in the dark. "Shit, hide!"

Ellie dropped the notepad back on the shelf and flipped off the light switch. As Riley was about to close the door she stopped herself, reached back in to feel for the notepad, and ripped out the first page. She shut the door and reattached the lock on the outside.

The delay prevented them from having enough time to leave back through the window without being heard. As Ellie was panicking to find another exit Riley grabbed her hand and pulled her around to the side of the stairs and into the small cubby beneath. They both huddled in the corner and tried to suspend their breathing, though their now rapid pulse made that nearly impossible.

They heard the sound of the doorknob twist and the door right above them swing open slowly, and for a moment after there was only silence. A heavy exhale broke the quiet followed by the creaking of the wooden stairs. The footsteps made their way down to the ground floor and moved slowly toward the direction of the cooler and stopped. The sound of a single click was followed by the door being opened. The light in it suddenly flashed on and sent beams bouncing off the walls of the basement.

With their vision obstructed Riley cautiously peaked from around the edge of the stairs. She was able to make out the silhouette of a figure in the doorway but had to jerk her head back in almost immediately when the figure turned around.

A low voice filled the room. "Okay, ready."

The stairs creaked once again under stress as a couple more sets of footsteps made their way down.

An instantly familiar Southern accent spoke out of frustration. "Stop struggling."

A third voice made itself known, heavily slurred and hard to understand. "What are you… you doing?" It sounded familiar to the girls, but it was too distorted.

Both footsteps stopped and a sudden grinding noise from the metal chair rang out as if a weight was suddenly dropped onto it. Riley peaked her head out again with Ellie doing the same beside her. The scene before them was surreal.

At the back of the cooler stood the first figure, perfectly still, with the taller man standing in the doorway with his back towards them. What they saw between the two terrified them. Under the single light, on the rusty chair, sat Tino. He was slumped forward and struggling to keep his head up. A wave of panic shot through them both and left them in a state of paralyzed observation.

David let an arm drop while the other one set something inside of a small box off to his side. He pulled the notebook off of the shelf and flipped it open, but instead of writing anything the man remained still.

James must have noticed the odd silence. "What is it?"

"My log. It's missing a page."

"That's odd. Did you rip it out?"

A long silence fell before his response. "Don't you think I would remember doing something like that?"

"It was just a thought."

A heavy sigh followed. "You and I are the only one with access to this room, correct?"

"Right."

"Well, it wasn't me. And if it wasn't me, then who's the only one left?"

"Just me, but I swear it wasn't. Why would I take a single page out of your book?"

A short pause this time, after which a stifled laugh suddenly erupted and startled the girls out of their daze. "No, I suppose you wouldn't, would you? You would have absolutely no reason to. I'll figure it out later. For now, let's continue shall we?"

He reached off to left side of the room behind the wall, his hand reappearing with a small opaque tube with a pointed tip that glinted from the light. Tino's limp body in the chair began to flail which caused the man behind him to quickly grab his arms and hold him still. Tino kept trying to make noises but they came out muddled.

"Relax Tino, there's no need to be worried." David grabbed steady one of his arms and slowly pressed the needle against it.

Ellie immediately fell backwards and scurried herself as fast as she could against the side wall. Riley just as hurriedly pushed herself between Ellie and the wall while putting one hand over Ellie's mouth and the other around her chest hoping to silence her panicked breaths. Their view was blocked again and they could only helplessly listen.

"Alright, that's good for now. We'll come back tomorrow and see how he's doing."

They heard a click and the light was suddenly extinguished. The stairs creaked under the weight of first unknown set of footsteps. The cooler door was shut, the lock put back on, and then the second set of footsteps followed upstairs. The basement door closed with a groan and the door lock's tumblers were again jostled by the key and closed tight.

Ellie let her head fall forward and sobbed against the hand covering it. Riley held even tighter and waited until Ellie's body slowed its shaking and her whimpers subsided before she let her grip around her loosen.

Riley spoke through a blurred mess of nerves and adrenaline. "We'll get Tino out of here. Just hold on."

They waited for a few minutes to ensure the two men were gone for good before emerging from underneath the staircase. Riley ran over to the door and twisted the dial back and forth and drew the lock off the handle. She pulled the door open and flipped on the switch.

The light spotlighted Tino whose head was fallen backwards and his body motionless. Ellie stood back out of the room watching nervously with both hands over her mouth. Riley put her hand against his shoulder and shook him, hopeful to get a reaction.

He pulled his head back up and looked at the two figures standing before him. His eyes narrowed as he tilted his head in confusion. "Hey… what… is?" His head began to droop forward as he trailed off.

Riley stopped him from falling and threw his arm around herself to stand him up. "Oh shit he's heavy. Help me."

Ellie stood paralyzed at the door, her eyes darting in every possible direction.

"Ellie, now!"

She shook her head clear and followed the command. She put his arm around her shoulder and they both dragged him out of the cooler and across the basement towards the windows. Each step was harder than the last and by the time they reached the one they came in their energy was spent and they were forced to sit him against the wall.

"We can't do it. We have to leave him here."

"What? We can't leave him here, are you crazy? Who knows what they'll do to him!"

"I don't want-" Riley caught herself and lowered her voice. "I don't want to either! But there's no way in hell we can get him up that ladder. We could barely get him twenty feet."

"What about the stairs?"

"Seriously? That's where they are."

"Well we can't just leave him here… "

Riley grabbed her by both shoulders and stared into her eyes. "Ellie, we can't get him out of here. Not right now. We need to leave and get help, okay?"

Ellie began darting her eyes again back and forth between the girl in front of her and the boy on the ground beside them.

"Ellie."

"Okay… okay, yeah."

"Alright." Riley too looked down at the kid on the ground and noticed that his face was in a state of complete absence. "Sorry, Tino, but we've gotta go. We're gonna find you some help." She sighed and looked back up at Ellie and nodded toward the window.

Riley pushed up on the window and held it open for Ellie, stepping through herself once she was outside. They hurried across the lawn while making sure to stay out of sight of any of the main windows. They stopped once they reached the dark quiet street and looked around nervously.

Ellie was the first to speak through her nerves. "Where do we go?"

"I don't know. I don't know!" She looked up and down the road hoping for an idea. "Uh… the neighborhood past the alley. It's- it's close, they'll have a phone."

"What about the stores?"

"They'll be closed. Come on, we can't stop here and think, we gotta keep moving! Come on!"

Ellie nodded and they both sprinted eastward down the road.


	16. Chapter 16

16;

Though regularly filled with passing cars and people walking its sidewalks, the storefront street at this hour was void of life and took on a dark lonely atmosphere. By the time the girls finally reached it they had already ran past several major roads and their stamina was nearing empty. Riley stopped and laid a hand on one of the buildings and leaned over slightly.

Ellie stood behind her breathing heavily. "We can catch our breath while walking. We can't stop."

Riley forced herself to pull her hand back and to start walking quickly again past the dark store windows. They reached the alley, turned into it, and made their way past the garbage cans and boxes scattered throughout before reaching the end that spilled out into the neighborhood.

"What now?"

"We just start knocking on doors. We should split up, we can cover more houses that way."

"What? No." Ellie shook her head and sounded as though she were pleading. "We're not splitting up."

"Ellie…"

"I'm coming with you."

Riley gave in knowing that she couldn't convince her otherwise. "Okay, okay. Let's just hurry."

They looked around for a brief second and ran across the yard and up to the door of the nearest house they could see from the alley exit. Riley ran up and banged on it while Ellie rang the doorbell and anxiously paced.

Riley yelled as loud as she could manage between her shallow breaths. "We need help! Anyone in there?"

They banged on it again and repeatedly pressed the doorbell button but after a minute of unresponsiveness they gave up.

"God damn it! Next one, come on."

They hurried down the steps and took off across the lawn and into the house's next to them. They jumped the small hedge that separated the two and ran up the steps up to the identical door. They began banging on it hard enough to vibrate the wall itself.

"Hey! We need to use your phone! It's an emergency!"

They stopped and backed up when a light flicked on in a window on the side of the house. They waited for a few moments and then the light over the porch turned on and an older woman in her robe opened the door a crack, a chain blocking it from opening completely. She was squinting against the light as she peered out at them.

"What? What is it?" She seemed equal parts worried and annoyed.

"Can we use your phone? We need to call the police right now, our friend needs help."

They both stood fidgeting on her porch while the woman's eyes analyzed them up and down. The door closed and then swung open completely.

"Okay, come in quickly. The phone is on the nightstand in the hallway."

"Thank you!"

They rushed past her and straight ahead to the hallway that was brightly lit from a couple of wall sconces. The woman scanned the area outside her house before closing the door and locking it up.

Ellie took the phone and had called the police, stuttering as she forced out her words. "Our friend Tino was drugged… or poisoned, or something. He needs help right now. He's in the basement unconscious, I think." Riley could hear some low mumbling coming from the other side. "Oh, not here, uh, at the Gateway Orphanage. Yes, we're away from there, just please hurry… Ellie! I don't know where we are!"

Her hands were shaking as she handed the phone to the woman who calmly took it and gave the operator her address.

The woman relayed the information she received from the operator on the other side of the phone. "They're sending someone to the orphanage right now. They're also sending an officer over here as well to come talk to you." She looked at the two girls in her home who were clearly on edge. "I'm sorry about your little friend, I'm sure he'll be okay. Go ahead and take a seat, I'll grab you something to drink. You two look terrible."

After her unnecessary critique she scuttled off into the other room and began pouring some of the orange juice she pulled from the fridge into two glasses. She returned to the room where she left them to find them still standing in the same spots.

"Here, hopefully this will help. Sit."

They obliged and sat together on one of the couches unaware of the glasses they were holding in their hands. Each second that passed while waiting for an update felt like an hour. Something, anything, was better than not knowing.

Within a short time after their initial call the red and blue lights of a cruiser penetrated the house followed by a knock on the door. The girls stayed seated while they watched the woman open the door outright. She spoke with the officer for a second before directing him to the couch inside.

"Hello, girls. Are you the two that called the police?"

"Where is Tino? Did you find him? Is he okay?"

The officer glanced over at the woman and back to them. "I think it's best we discuss this back at the station. Is that okay?"

"Just tell us!"

He held out a hand palm straight out, a signal to calm down. "Please, just come with me."

"This is bullshit."

"I can force you to if you'd rather do that."

Riley huffed and held her tongue at the risk of worsening their night. She looked over at Ellie who looked back with a silent agreement. They pushed themselves off the couch in frustration and staggered past him and out to the car still rotating its lights. The officer nodded at the woman and walked out the door after them.

He opened the back door of his car and shut it after they hopped in and walked around to the driver's side. The girls watched out the window as the car drove out of the neighborhood and through streets they had never seen before. The car exited the area and out onto a main street where, not long after some swift driving, they noticed an office building further down the road that was brightly lit. It had large black letters on it that read 'Police Department 227'.

The officer pulled into the parking lot and reopened the back door. They followed him through the building's entrance and past the front desk and into a small cubicle that they assumed was his.

"Enough of this, just tell us about Tino!"

"Calm down. There's an officer over there right now speaking with the caretaker of your orphanage."

"I'm not gonna calm down, and why are they talking to him? They need to arrest him!"

"Please keep your voice down. The officer already went through the building, including the basement, and has so far found nothing. He has reported that this Mr.… David Murphy and his assistant have been cooperative and have let him check throughout the building in its entirety."

"Well then he didn't check good enough 'cause he's down there."

The officer ignored the criticism and continued. "Now just because he was accommodating doesn't mean he's innocent, which is why I brought you down here. I want to get your side of the story, so please, describe what happened."

They both started talking over each other which forced the officer to be even louder. "One at a time!" He pointed to Ellie. "Ellie right?" She nodded. "You first."

"Okay, so it started with David taking over the orphanage after the Edgar left, the old caretaker. When he took over, he locked the basement and cooler for some reason. Then he locked Riley in the basement as some sick form of discipline." She realized she was just spouting out information as fast as she could but didn't stop herself even if useless. "After she got out I noticed our friend Sam was missing, so we confronted David about it. He said he was fostered out, but Sam didn't say anything about it, which is weird. So we sort of… snuck into the basement at night to see why it and the cooler down there was locked. We were hoping to find something on him."

"Why the cooler?"

Riley cut in, unable to hold back. "Because I knew something was messed up with David. Why lock the thing when it only holds food? It was fine without one."

He shot her a glance which shut her up. "Ellie, please continue."

"So, we opened it with the combination we found in his office. There was a chair in there and a notebook with some messed up stuff in it. Riley even ripped out a page from it."

Riley eyes lit up when she was reminded about the piece of paper. She leaned to the side and reached into her side pocket, paused for a second, and then quickly reached into the other one. She stood up and checked her two back pockets.

"No… no, no, no! Shit, where is it?" She stood there with her mouth open in disbelief. "It's not here, I don't have it."

"You have to, you're the one that took it. Check your jacket."

Riley felt through each pocket but still came up empty handed. "Nothing."

"Well where the hell is it?"

"I don't know, Ellie! If I had it don't you think I'd show him?"

"You don't get to yell at me, I'm not the one who lost the damn paper!"

"Girls! Be quiet and sit down!"

Ellie crossed her arms and Riley huffed before sitting down.

"What is this paper you're talking about?" He looked back and forth between the two of them but suddenly couldn't get a response. He sighed in annoyance and looked at Riley. "You. Talk."

"The paper, which I can't find, had a table on it. It listed names, dates, a category titled drugs, and… uh, duration. Oh, and symptoms. It was essentially a list of people that were drugged with something, their symptoms from it which were horrible sounding, and then an amount of time. Maybe how long the drug took to kick in? Or, shit, how long until they died even. I didn't recognize any of the names, but one of the drugs was something like Shrike or Shriking. I don't know exactly remember but it was fucked up, you have to believe us."

He raised his eyebrows and thought about the seriousness of her accusations. He nodded and looked back over at Ellie. "Continue where you left off, after finding this 'notepad'."

"We found the notepad, we did, and as soon as we had it someone began opening the basement door behind us. So we shut the cooler and hid below the stairs. David and James came down with Tino, our friend that we called about, the one your cop failed to find."

She was outright glaring at the officer at this point. "They sat him in the chair and stuck a needle in his arm. They closed the door and locked him in. After they left the basement we opened the cooler and tried to get him out, but he was too heavy so we had to leave him. We ran to that woman's house where you picked us up and now we're here."

"That's a hell of a story."

"Jesus, it's not a story! It's what happened!"

"Officer Clarke and White are there now, once they update me on the situation we'll figure out how to proceed. If there's something going on over there, we'll figure it out, okay?" The girls just sat there quietly, distrusting to an extent everything he said. "And until they do, you can take a seat in the waiting room. There's some water and snacks out there. Go on."

They stood up and dejectedly walked to the small room at the front of the building and sat on the corner bench.

Riley scoffed. "He doesn't believe us. Should've guessed as much."

"He will, just… give him time."

After waiting for even just a few minutes for the officers to return, Ellie closed her eyes and rested against Riley who herself was strongly feeling the pangs of exhaustion. It was a half past four in the morning and both had given into sleep when they were eventually roused by the officer who drove them there. They groggily looked up to see two men standing in front of them, one the officer they've been talking to, and the other someone new.

"This is Officer Clarke. He's the one that took your call and investigated the orphanage."

"Hello girls."

Ellie stifled a yawn and leaned off of Riley. "What happened? Did you find Tino?"

"Officer White and I did a thorough search of the building, including the basement where you mentioned you saw the attack. But... it came up clean."

"That's not possible. Did you check the cooler?"

"We did."

They stared at the officer with their minds swimming in disbelief. "Well then what the hell happened to him? He was there just the other day, did you ask that asshole about him?"

"Who's that?"

"David."

"Oh, the caretaker. We questioned him about the situation and he was very cooperative. He answered all our questions, let us search the building, and even provided us with the documentation of Tino's legal transfer."

"Of course he did..."

The initial officer interjected himself again. "I'm sorry girls, but right now it's down to his words against yours. He has documentation, whereas you apparently lost yours. Unless you are able to come up with some sort of evidence, I'm afraid we can't continue any further at this point."

Ellie had begun to tear up while Riley was nearly speechless. "What now?"

"Now, because you're underage and still in the custody of the city, we're legally obligated to return you to the orphanage."

"What? We can't go back there! He'll know it was us and he'll do the same thing he did to Tino…"

"I'm sorry, but until you two turn eighteen you don't really have a choice. It's just how the system works. So come on, I need to get you back."

The girls sat in defeat while everything was crashing around them. They knew what happened and had the evidence, but knew it would've been pointless to keep trying without it now. They didn't have any fight left in them so early in the morning so they gave in and followed the orders of the cop standing in front of them.

They slowly walked out of the building and into the back of Riley's car. He took off from the parking lot and back out onto the street heading west. Ellie sat leaning against the door of the car, her head against the window and legs stretched to the side. She stared at the roof while watching the interior repeatedly transition from dark to light to dark as they drove underneath street lights.

A squeal from the brakes brought her back into reality as the car slowed down to a stop in front of the red building. The driver side door opened followed soon by the back door closest to the building. The girls both got out and stood on the sidewalk in a daze.

"Please, please don't make us go back in there."

Clarke was clearly uncomfortable with the decision but had no choice in the matter. "I'm sorry, but I have to. If anything happens again, call the police immediately."

Riley was exhausted and tired of dealing with him. "Because that worked great the first time."

Clarke sighed but understood her sarcasm. He couldn't think of anything to say to regain her trust so he decided against it and walked them up to the front door and rang the buzzer. "This is Officer Clarke, I have here two of your… inhabitants."

Moments later they could hear the door locks on the other side being undone followed by the door fully opening, both James and David standing directly behind it. They looked at the girls for a terrifyingly long second.

"Get to bed you two. We'll have a discussion tomorrow about everything."

The girls grudgingly filed back into the bedroom with James watching carefully from the bedroom doorway until they reached their beds.

David turned back toward the officer. "Thank you officer for bringing them back. I very much appreciate it."

"You're welcome. Have a good night."

"You too." He nodded his head at the officer and closed the door.

He walked back towards his room and glanced at the beds as he passed by, unconcerned about the two for the time being.

The girls sleepily walked by the other orphans and straight towards Riley's bunk. Most of the others were still asleep though some had been woken by the commotion outside the bedroom.

Ellie kept watch on the door for David while Riley slowly climbed the bunk ladder. As soon as she cleared the edge of the bed Ellie followed immediately after. "Move over. No way in hell am I sleeping alone tonight."

Riley complied and pressed up against the side as far as she could while Ellie slid in next to her and put her head on the pillow facing her. They stared at each other with racing thoughts and unstable emotions.

Ellie whispered out into the black room. "What do we do?"

"I don't know... but we can't stay here."


	17. Chapter 17

17;

Riley was jostled awake when the bed was bumped into by another orphan while on his way out to lunch. The rays of the sun pierced through the windows and warmed her face in the cold room. It was well into the afternoon and with yesterday's events yet to resurface in her consciousness Riley was, for a moment, comfortable. She opened her eyes to see the back of Ellie's head, causing her momentary ignorance to vanish. Her heart sank realizing where she and what the day had in store for them.

She leaned up and pulled her trapped arm out from under Ellie. "Hey. We need to get up."

Ellie groaned and dug her head farther in the pillow trying to escape the light and unwanted noise.

"As much as it's going to suck, we've gotta get ready for today."

She kept shaking Ellie's shoulder until she eventually rolled over on her back with a groan and peered at her.

"Can't we just sleep for a little longer?"

"We need to talk about what the hell we're going to do today. Remember what I said last night?"

Ellie was still groggy but everything from the other night was fresh in her mind. She reluctantly nodded her head in agreement, even though she didn't like it. "We can't stay here."

"Unless you can think of something else."

She sat upright and tried to force even the simplest thoughts through her exhaustion-ridden head. "Can't we just go to another orphanage? Like the one you came from or something?"

Riley shook her head. "No."

"No? That's it?"

"It won't work, alright? Just… trust me on this."

Ellie looked at her in confusion but gave in. "Fine. Then I guess I don't have anything else."

"Then I think we should stock up on food and pack our clothes and get out of here by tonight. He can't get to us during the day."

"So soon?"

"Do you really want to spend another night in this place? With him?"

"No… of course not. But then where are we gonna sleep?"

Riley feared that question out of guilt from ignorance. "I don't know yet."

"So you're saying we're pretty much just going to be sleeping on the street until you figure it out."

"Until we figure it out. And you know we have no other option. Not right now at least. It's better than waiting around here until David decides that he needs to off us too, isn't it?"

"I know, I know, you're right. So we just stay here for the day and leave tonight?"

"After dinner, yeah." She heard herself making all the decisions for the two of them. "Is that okay? What do you think?"

"Like you said, I think it's the only thing we can do right now. We should also probably tell everyone here about David and what we saw before we leave. Though I doubt they'll listen to us."

"Maybe, but we should at least try. We'll have to do it right before we go though. Hell if I'm giving him a chance to retaliate."

Ellie was still in disbelief from yesterday, from their conversation now. It made her furious that they were ignored and that Tino and Sam are both gone, and nobody seemed to notice or, even if they did, didn't care, even the police.

"We're really gonna do this, huh?"

Riley shared the same reluctance, something she pushed hard to hide. "Yeah we are. We'll be good."

"What about David?"

"What about him?"

"He said last night that he's going to talk with us today. I don't want to go out there and deal with him."

"Yeah, he'll probably try. We'll just tell him that we'll talk with him after dinner or something. Be persistent."

Ellie simply nodded and scooted herself to the edge of the bed and swung her feet over the side. "We should start preparing."

"Yeah…"

They both crawled their way off the bed and headed out of the bedroom. They quickly passed by David's office and to dining area to grab themselves their last lunch at the orphanage. As soon as they entered the area they noticed that James was carefully watching them from behind the counter. They returned the glare, though more cautiously than observantly.

When they reached the front of the line and started being served their food, both parties ignored the other's presence. They grabbed a double serving of everything that was available and ate the food that couldn't be transported easily, stashing the rest that could be into napkins that they would temporarily store in their lockers.

They waited the day away purposely in the bedroom while sitting on the Sam's old bunk, becoming more nervous and more anxious with each passing hour. They occasionally spotted David through the doorway, but he never made an attempt to enter much to their relief.

Riley watched from the corner of her eye Ellie nervously fidgeting with her fingers. "It'll be okay."

"Will it?"

"Yeah. It will. You seemed like you were okay this morning."

"I was. When we woke up this morning we had the entire day in front of us. But now that it's an hour away… I just… I don't know. I mean, we can't stay here, I know that's not an option."

"But?"

"But… we have no idea what we're doing."

"Not entirely, no, but there are plenty of orphans out there like us in the same situation. If they can make it so can we."

"I doubt they're in the same situation."

"As in being homeless, or will be at least." She sighed. "If it makes you feel any better I've been reading about these places for a while now called refuges. They essentially give help to homeless kids, mainly shelter and supplies."

"Why have you been reading about them?"

"Because I might have been… possibly, thinking about leaving after David got here."

"What? Seriously?"

"It's not like my instincts were wrong."

"Well… no. But still."

"Look, there's one a ways from here a couple of cities over. I think we should try for it."

Ellie broke off their eye contact and started looking around the room randomly. Riley knew she wasn't succeeding in reassuring her, but couldn't dwell on that as they had to leave soon regardless.

"We should go ahead and grab dinner."

They remained waiting on Sam's bed after dinner was called so they could be last in line. After some time they hesitantly got off the bed and walked out, careful to watch for and avoid any interaction with David. The stepped straight up to the counter and took as much as the two cooks would give them, most of it coming from the assistant. They sat and ate what couldn't be taken with them.

After finishing their food they walked back to their beds and grabbed everything they stored in the locker and shoved them into a couple of backpacks they took from storage. In a second pocket in the bag they packed as much clothing and blankets as they could manage along with some sundries they took from the bathroom. They slung their backpacks over their shoulders and stood staring at the exit.

"This is it."

"…yeah."

"You okay?"

"No."

"Me neither." She gave her a strained smile. "Let's go."

They walked out in front of the dining room and stood in the same place David had done when he first arrived, and that Edgar had done before him when he announced his leaving. They had already begun to gather some attention even before speaking due to their out of place presence.

"Everyone, can you please listen? This is really important. Please." The voices of the scattered orphans started to dissipate enough to where Ellie felt she could be heard. Her voice was shaking, as were her hands. "Not really sure how to say this, but, last night, Riley and I saw one of the other orphans here get drugged, maybe even poisoned. He's not here today, nor is one of our other friends, and we're almost sure that they're… dead."

A handful of the orphans started grouping together to listen, their volume level raising rapidly after the accusation.

She raised her voice even higher to be heard. "I know this seems crazy, but it's true. And the person responsible for doing this was David." She kept straight but pointed towards his office. "He murdered them."

A voice sprouted up from the room. "That's crazy! How could you know that?"

"Because we hid in the basement last night. We saw it happen with our own eyes."

Riley jumped in to relieve Ellie. "We found a notebook of his with names and a list of drugs that he's used on people in it. There were some disgusting things in it. I only managed to remember a couple of the names on there, Jessica Turner and Daniel Summers, but there were more."

"Daniel?" Another voice questioned from somewhere in the room.

"Yeah."

"David told me that he was fostered out a few weeks ago."

"David told you, huh? Did Daniel ever say a word to you before he left? Or was he just suddenly not here one day?"

The voice remain quiet to the question.

"That's what I thought."

Ellie cut back in. "See? It's obvious what he's doing. Have you ever wondered why the basement is locked? Or why Evette was suddenly replaced after David got here?" Ellie quieted but kept her disposition. "I know most of you will probably ignore this, but you know something about this place is off. Something about David is off. And the longer you stay here, the more you put yourself at risk."

"That is enough." A booming voice appeared without warning and a pair of hands from behind rested themselves firmly on Ellie's shoulders.

Riley caught sight of them and spun around to observe David standing behind Ellie with a look of extreme annoyance. She instinctively shoved him, causing him to stumble backwards and let his grip on Ellie go.

"Don't fucking touch her!"

He recovered from the stagger and postured himself upright again, his voice uncharacteristic from his usual breathy way of speaking. "This is my orphanage and I will not allow such egregious allegations to be made against me."

"You know we're right. No caretaker would inject an orphan with something, let alone lock them in a room like a damn prisoner."

"I simply don't know what you're talking about girls."

"Bullshit."

"You two even sent the police after me to search the place. Do you know what they found?"

"A cover up?" Riley sneered at him.

"They found nothing. Certainly nothing to the extent to which you're proposing." He focused his gaze beyond the girls to a majority of the orphanage now gathered in one area. "Children please, don't listen to these two and their lies. This is undeniably ridiculous. To the boy I heard speak out earlier, Daniel is currently in a foster family some states over, as is Jessica for whoever concerned."

Riley and Ellie both stepped around to the side of him in preparation to leave without hindrance.

"I am doing my job here. And just because your friends are being transferred to new homes faster than you're accustomed to, doesn't mean something horribly immoral is happening."

Ellie continued where she left off, ignoring most of his arguments to the contrary. "Watch him closely. You'll see him for what he is soon enough."

"Enough of this. You need to stop this slandering. These children know better than to trust a couple of reprobates."

Riley wanted to retaliate, but Ellie felt they said what they needed to and stopped her from prolonging the argument. They backed up several feet while facing David before turning around and walking to the front door.

"And where do you think you're going?"

"We're leaving. Don't even think about stopping us."

He became quiet and just stared at them as they readjusted their backpacks and undid the locks on the door. Riley pushed it open and gave one last look at the man and the several dozen orphans behind him all watching closely to their every move. She shut the door and followed Ellie out into the front yard.

The world suddenly panned itself out in front of them, larger than it's ever felt before. The dawning sun was just above the horizon, not long until it disappeared out of sight, and the sky was a vibrant mix of dark blues and purples complimented with orange butts. The wind had a chill in it and was blowing lightly, causing the trees to sway and its leaves to shiver.

It was physically no different the last time they stepped out from that door, but now their circumstance had drastically changed and the gravity of their situation pressed down heavily upon them. The door had acted as a threshold between their old lives at the orphanage and their new unknown ones.

Riley managed to shake the feeling and focused in on Ellie who was clearly going through the same revelation. She let her have a moment before pulling her back into reality.

"We should get moving, we've got a lot of walking in front of us."

Ellie, in her daze, searched for the source of the voice, calming down slightly and regaining her focus when she discovered it. "Okay."

They grabbed onto the straps of their backpacks and took their first steps away from the door, down the path, and past the white wooden sign. They reached the main street that ran alongside the building and paused a moment before Ellie spoke up.

"Where do we go?"

"The place is in a couple cities over in Bristol. We just head west along this road for quite a ways and then north when we hit Carver. It'll bring us straight there."

"How long is it gonna take?"

"Not sure. We've only got enough food and water to last us for a little less than a week, so we're gonna have to make it before we run out." Riley felt confident knowing that she knew where to go, but less so from the uncertainty about what would happen once they got there. "Ready?"

"No turning back now."


	18. Chapter 18

18;

The sun had completely set and the stars were out in their full radiance. Only the occasional street light they passed under managed to extinguish them at regular intervals.

They were walking along the same street they started out on over two days ago, leaving miles of road between them and the orphanage with much more lying ahead. The densest part of the city was well gone now, only spaced out homes and the occasional store were all they ran across in the tree-dominated countryside. A single worn asphalt road cut through the center of it all.

Ellie let her head fall back and stared into the clearest night they've had yet. "It's beautiful out here."

The sudden voice out of the prolonged silence startled Riley. "I guess. Kind of lonely though."

"Some people like that, you know? Besides, it's not lonely, it's… peaceful. People go camping just to have some of this. No city noises, no dirty cars, no having to deal with other people. Just the cool air and the stars."

Riley always appreciated that Ellie was the more emotional type, something she had trouble with herself. "The moon is… pretty."

"You tried."

"Whatever. We should take a break. It's been hours since we last stopped."

"Yeah, I could use some water."

"Alright. Over here."

They picked a spot next to a single tree amongst a never-ending line of them, slid their backpacks off, and leaned them against its trunk. Riley unzipped her bag's back pocket and pulled out one of the water bottles she stashed for the walk and tossed it to Ellie.

"We don't have much, so make it last."

"I know, I know. You've told me before."

Ellie twisted off the top and drank less than a quarter and handed it back to Riley who did the same and then shoved it back in with the others before zipping it up. She observed the area around them for a second before groaning.

"My legs have that weird tingling feeling."

"Mine just hurt." She began rubbing them out of reflex. "It's getting cold too."

"How much farther we going tonight?"

"I was hoping to make it about to the half-way point. If that even." She looked around again, more observant of the area this time. "Though I'm not positive of where we are now. We just have to keep heading along this road."

"...Riley?"

"...yeah?"

"Are we lost?"

Riley responded in an overtly faux-condescending tone. "No, Ellie, we are not lost. I know where we are… for the most part."

"I knew it, we totally are. Some truck is gonna find our bodies in the middle of nowhere with you still clinging to your pride."

"Wow… okay, so first off I am not that bad. I got us this far didn't I? Secondly-"

"We walked in a straight line!"

"Secondly! The street we turn on is only a few miles past an old wooden bridge. We have yet to come across it, so at least I know we haven't gone far enough."

"So you know somewhat where we're going. That's good."

Riley rolled her eyes. "You're an asshole."

Ellie smiled off the remark. "Pull me a scarf out of your bag would you?"

"Really? After that you're just gonna ask me for something?"

"Yeah. 'Cause I know you'll do it."

Riley grumbled before pulling the scarf from the bag's front pocket and tossing it to her.

"Told ya."

She exhaled in frustration through a mocking grin. "You've been promoted to bitch. Congratulations."

"Alright, alright, I'll ease off." She threw the scarf around her neck that they had taken from one of the stores before they left. "Thanks."

"We should probably keep moving. We'll stay a bit warmer if we do."

Ellie slowly nodded as she looked around the area one last time. "I hope we can find somewhere like this again. It'd be nice to sleep under a tree beneath the stars."

"We'll see."

They both picked up their bags, slung them over their backs, and carried on down the lone asphalt road. Within another hour they reached a point along a hill that served as a vantage point and allowed them to see miles in nearly every direction. Though in the darkness the only thing to be seen were packets of towns dotted throughout the valley which were only discernable by small splotches of light in an otherwise sea of black.

They tried hitchhiking, but few cars passed by that late at night, their taillights disappearing in the far distance a discouraging sign of how far they still have left to go. They eventually were met by a green reflective sign displaying the distances to upcoming towns and cities. At the bottom of a list of three names it showed 'Bristol' with a '73 miles' next to it.

"Fuck yeah. See? I knew it."

"Didn't doubt you. Though it is still a long ways."

"Yeah it is. Probably be at least a few more days if we can't get a ride from one of these assholes who keep passing us!" She practically yelled at the car that went flying by at that moment.

They continued on passed the sign with great effort knowing that they still had far to go. Exhaustion from both their walking and from the time of night did nothing to help their willpower.

They traveled in spurts of silence of which the current one was broken by Riley who wanted to distract them from their laborious walk and recent events.

"So… knock knock."

Ellie's face dropped from the undesired surprise. "Seriously?" Riley just raised her eyebrows and nodded. "No. Not in the mood, sorry."

Riley sighed and broke eye contact. "Look, I know we're in a really shitty… transition period right now. And what happened with… we can't just give in. I'm just trying to lighten the mood."

Ellie sighed at the awkward silence her refusal placed between them. "Fine. I guess I could go for some relief."

Riley smiled and regained some confidence. "Okay, so knock knock."

Ellie exhaled, still resistant to the idea of joking. "Who's there?"

"Europe."

"Europe who?"

"No, you're a poo."

Ellie rolled her eyes and smirked. "That's stupid."

"Yeah it's lame, I know." Riley let her eyes wander. "What's another one? Oh! Okay, so a rabbi, a priest, and a redneck walk into a bar. They're all alcoholics and their drinking problems are tearing their families apart."

Ellie surprisingly gave in to Riley's dark sense of humor and chuckled. "That's horrible. Why is that even a joke?"

"'Cause it's funny. Got you to laugh."

"Yeah it did." She looked over at Riley who had her eyebrows raised again. "What?"

"It's your turn."

"I don't really know any."

"You suck at lying. Remember?"

"...yeah, alright. Fine. Um... okay. What are green, yellow, red, pink, and purple?"

"I don't know, what?"

"Colors."

"Really? You call my first one stupid and then you give me that?"

"Got another. Why did the waiter put rubber bands in the soup?" Ellie childishly smirked. "Because he wasn't a very good waiter."

Riley snorted. "Alright, that was funny. Stupid too, but funny."

"Yeah it was."

Riley bit her lip and remained quiet. "One more." She cleared her throat. "Have you heard about the corduroy pillow? ...I hear it's making headlines!"

She stared at Ellie with a stupid smile until she beamed back and they both burst out with a laugh.

"That's like a joke you would tell a five year old!"

"Oh, and the color joke is supposed to be sophisticated?"

"Well, at least it's more than 'Europe who'!"

"I've known that joke since I was a kid, it's gonna be stupid. Besides, you know you liked it."

"I did." She spoke through a grin and nudged Riley with her shoulder. Before she could get another word in Riley stopped short and her eyes grew wide.

"Oh shit!"

Ellie's heart skipped a beat and she stopped dead in her tracks. "What?"

"The bridge!" She pointed in the distance at a dimly lit overpass nestled between two hills rising slightly out of the ground with trees on each side. "I told you I knew where we're going."

"Jesus, Riley, you scared the hell out of me." She exhaled trying to slow her pulse from the sudden surprise.

Riley simply nudged her back. "You'll live. Besides, you could probably use some toughening up."

"Fuck you too."

"That's the spirit!"

Ellie grunted. "At least it's not far from here." She started rubbing her arms and looked over at Riley. "Any chance for a fire tonight?"

"I think I may have been overly hopeful when I said that. We'll just have to do what we did before and once we get to the refuge we can hopefully find some shelter."

"I hope so too. It's only going to get colder."

Riley kept looking straight ahead and spoke out of habit. "Yeah, but we'll be good."

They walked the last several miles at a faster pace anxious to reach their goal for the night and be able to finally rest. In that time, though already numerous, a few butts had garnered enough strength and began giving off a slight drizzle, chilling the air even more.

The upper part of the bridge was of an old wooden construction and entirely covered by an enclosure that looked much like a long narrow barn. It was sturdy enough for a single car at a time but creaked and groaned under its own weight.

By the time they arrived they were exhausted, wet, and cold. They fell down on the grass near where the bridge and the hill met hoping to stay out of sight of passing cars and to avoid the elements altogether.

Their only visibility came from a dim mounted lamp on the side of the entrance to the bridge enclosure whose light trickled down through the wooden boards and support beams and reached them as scattered rays.

Ellie reached into Riley's bag and pulled out the water bottle that they had drank from already and some bread they took from dinner that was still in its napkin. She downed half of the remaining water and finished off the bread quickly. She wiped her mouth and looked up to notice Riley watching in amazement.

"What?"

"Nothing. Here, give me that." Riley grabbed the bottle from Ellie, drank the rest of the water, and ate one of a handful of unappetizing looking prepackaged fruit pastries she had grabbed from breakfast.

She threw the wrapper to the side and pulled over her backpack and dropped it onto her lap. She dug into the front pocket and pulled out a shirt, a pair of pants, and a couple of dry socks. She looked over and nodded at Ellie's backpack.

"You should change too. You're gonna be miserable in those."

Ellie watched as Riley, apparently without reserve, pulled off of her wet clothing in front of her and replaced them with their dry substitutes. Once done she threw on her other heavier jacket, arguably their most valuable piece of clothing.

Ellie followed Riley's lead and reached into her bag and pulled out the same clothes, a long sleeved shirt and a pair of jeans. She paused hesitantly and looked around for a moment which Riley noticed.

"Something wrong?"

"It's just... nothing. Never mind." She spun so her back was to Riley and quickly replaced her shirt with a dry one.

Riley rolled her eyes. "Here." She tossed the pants she left on her bag to her. "I think we're a little past the modesty stage, don't you?" She began pulling out the blankets and setting them up on the ground.

"I guess." Ellie less hastily changed out her damp pants and stuffed them into a separate pocket in her bag to prevent the dry ones from absorbing the moisture of the wet pair.

Riley took off her shoes and laid them to the side of their makeshift bed and crawled in between the covers. She pulled the top blanket up and laid her head on the bottom one through which she could feel the stubble of the grass. Ellie crawled in after changing and unexpectedly rested her head on Riley's stomach without a word.

Riley gave her a minute before softening her tone and bringing up the blatantly obvious issue herself. "Talk to me."

"About what?"

"Really? You're laying on me. Doesn't exactly scream 'I'm fine'."

"Maybe I find you really comfortable."

"Maybe you should just tell me. Come on… what is it?"

Ellie shut her eyes and sighed after a long pause. "Isn't it obvious? This. Everything. I've been in an orphanage my entire life, and to suddenly not be in one… to be homeless… it's scary. It really is. Not only that, but we're just jumping straight into something completely unknown."

Riley freed her left arm from between Ellie and herself and began to absentmindedly run it through the girl's hair. "Isn't there like a saying that home is where the heart is? So... you just have to want to be wherever you are and you're never homeless."

"I don't think that's how it works."

"Yeah, me neither. But it sounds nice doesn't it? Anyway, I've been in this situation before. So it's not like we're jumping into this head first with no... experience, I guess you could call it."

Ellie opened her eyes in surprise. "Really?"

"Really."

"How come you've never mentioned it?"

"Really?"

She unexpectedly grinned. "Yeah, really."

"Well, I mean, come on, it's not exactly something that just comes up, you know? That and I try to avoid talking about it in general."

"Could you now? I want to hear." Ellie fidgeted, adjusting herself to be more comfortable.

"Sure. What do you want to know?"

"Everything. How long were you homeless?"

"I don't know exactly, time didn't really mean much. Seven, maybe eight months? I won't lie, it sucked. But I managed. And we'll definitely do better together. Besides, it's not like it'll be like this forever, it's only temporary." She took a long pause and sighed. "Remembering that really helped me get through it."

"How'd you get out of it?"

"Pure luck. Remember when I told you that going to a different orphanage wouldn't work?"

"And you told me to just trust you on that."

"Right. Well, when I was about eleven, the orphanage I was at was run an abusive caretaker… who now seems like a damn saint compared to who we just escaped from. Anyway, one day I just packed all my shit and ran, no idea what I was doing. My first thought was to go to another orphanage. Which I did. Well apparently, once you're in the system, you're stuck where they assign you. So once I got there, they immediately shipped me back out to my old one, despite my begging and pleading... despite telling them about Evelyn. They didn't believe me, or didn't care. Sound familiar?"

"Very. Who was Evelyn?"

"Caretaker."

"What then?"

"What do you think? As soon as I was dropped off and the car drove out of sight, I just ran again. I took off towards downtown. It was okay for a while, I mainly survived through the soup kitchen with whatever money I could scrounge up. Or if I couldn't afford it, either not eat at all or find people's leftovers." She rubbed her temple with her free hand. "Disgusting, I know."

"Anyone try to help?" Ellie yawned through the words and re-closed her eyes.

"Eventually. But initially, I was an idiot and stubborn as hell. I grouped up with a couple others for a little while, but I never trusted them so I left. I turned down what little help was offered and ran from the cops who would try to bring me back. After months and months of this I was malnourished and really thin. I just didn't have the energy to fight anymore."

She took a break and sniffed in the moist air that carried with it the strong scent of fresh rain and wet grass. "A couple found me on the streets and offered their help. I accepted, reluctantly, and they bought me food and sat and talked with me for a bit. In our talk they told me they were trying to start a family and wondered if I'd think about being a part of theirs. All I knew is that if it got me away from the orphanage and off the streets I'd do it."

"I'm guessing that didn't last." Ellie spoke tiredly, almost inaudibly.

Riley scoffed. "Yeah, you could say that. They fostered me and moved us a city over. It was good for a little while, nice house and all that. But on their way to dinner one night they were both killed in a freak car accident. Pileup involving a bunch of cars. After that I was stuck back into the system. They brought me back to the same orphanage, only this time Evelyn was replaced, and, well..." She laughed at how depressingly comical it was. "Fuck, here I am again."

She waited for Ellie to say something but instead there was only silence. She moved her focus from the bottom of the bridge downwards to see the top of Ellie's head unmoving on top of her.

"You awake?" Riley closed her eyes at the lack of a response and deeply yawned. "Night, Ellie."

She lied there listening to the ambient pattering noises of the light rainfall, the creaking of the wooden boards above them, and the slight howling noise of the wind as it passed through the bridge's gaps. It was cold, but the blankets, jackets, and shared body heat made it bearable.


	19. Chapter 19

19;

The rain had stopped overnight but my butts still lingered and were diffusing the early morning light into a hazy blur. The road they slept next to unfortunately ran east and west, exposing them directly to the sun as it rose over the horizon even while under the protection of the bridge. Ellie had rolled over sometime in her sleep and ended up facing the exact direction of the source of the light which casted her out from her sleep.

She rubbed her eyes and looked around at their temporary shelter for the previous night and realized how it took on a completely persona in the daylight. The wooden beams grew texture and the whole thing took on a somewhat golden glow.

She leaned up and observed the girl still sleeping next to her for a moment before carefully wiggling her way out of the makeshift bed and forcing herself to her feet. She walked over toward one of the outer support beams and leaned against it. To the southeast she could see nothing but grass with the exception of a row of red and orange trees off in the distance, likely a border of a farm or other property. She found it a relief to see color again after another night of nothingness.

A twinge of urgency hit her as she stood admiring the view. She cussed under her breath and hustled off to the side and behind a bush, hiding herself the best she could.

She groaned in disgust. "Can't believe I'm doing this." She kept watch carefully when something caught her eye out towards the row of trees. "Deer!" She hurriedly finished and ran out in front of the bushes to get a better look. Her mouth was slightly agape in a half smile as she watched them simply graze and walk around.

She heard something faint but couldn't be sure it was anything and ignored it. "Oh my god, they're so cute." She heard it again, much clearer this time.

"Ellie?"

She spun around and reluctantly headed back toward the bridge, away from the deer, and walked around the corner back to where they slept. She spotted Riley leaning up in their bed and rubbing her eyes.

"What's up?"

Riley turned her head towards the sound and spotted the silhouette of Ellie, the rest of her blacked out by the concentration of light behind her. "Oh, hey. Where were ya?"

She shrugged. "I had to pee. Oh! And I saw deer out there, they're so cute. Why?"

Riley hesitated but spoke honestly. "Just wanted to make sure you didn't… you know, leave, or something."

Ellie expression dropped flat. "Seriously? I'm not gonna leave. And even if I wanted to, I'd tell you. So chill."

"Alright, alright. Sorry." Her eyes had adjusted slightly and she could now make out some of Ellie's features within the silhouette. "Help me up, would ya?"

Ellie nodded and outstretched a hand and pulled her up. "How'd you sleep?"

Riley flashed her a look of annoyance. "Not great. I think you had your ass shoved into my back the entire night. Hurts like hell."

"You'll live." She returned a mocking expression. "But yeah, that sounds like me. I toss and turn a lot when I sleep. You'll get used to it."

Riley began rubbing her back. "Hope so. Else I'm going to have a lot of painful mornings."

"Or you could just sleep on the grass from now on."

"Yeah… I'd rather deal with the pain." She stretched her back and smirked back at Ellie. "Anyway, we should have some breakfast. Or whatever we have that we can consider breakfast, I guess." She crouched down next to her bag and pulled out a couple more of the pastries along with a couple of napkins that were securing some dry food and a bottle of water. "We've got a bit to go today, we'll need the energy. Not sure we can get much out of these but it's something at least."

They ripped the plastic off and ate through the mass produced flaky crust. The leftover lunch and dinner they had stored in a napkin didn't provide much either and were soon gone as well. They shared the water, taking what they needed and saving the rest.

Riley was the first to finish and threw her napkin to the side. "Pack up the bed would you? I gotta pee too." She began walking off but stopped before reaching the corner and turned back around. "Oh, and take the lighter jackets out of the backpacks, it's gonna be warm for these today." She tugged on the jacket she was wearing. "Besides, they need to get dried out."

"Just go already."

Ellie shooed her away and began folding while Riley disappeared around the corner. She split up the bed's blankets and sheets and shoved them into both bags, neither capable of holding it all. She took out both light jackets and replaced the one she was wearing with one of them.

She took one last minute to observe the bridge they had stayed under for the night. It looked more worn down than glowing as she initially thought, but at least it held up for the night. Riley reappeared around the old rotting wood column and took one of the light jackets.

"No deer."

"No? Sucks for you."

The both slipped their bags over their shoulders and continued west down the road until the bridge disappeared into the horizon behind them. After another dozen miles of talking about nothing in particular, they reached another intersection. This one of particular distinction.

"Finally, Carver Street. I was beginning to think it would never show up." She breathed a sigh of relief as she looked down the road. "Well, now all we gotta do is take it north until we get to Bristol."

"How far is that?"

"To be honest, I don't know. When I was looking at the map I just saw that Carver was the important street that we needed to take. We'll just get there when we get there, I guess."

"Wonderful. Let's keep moving then."

They walked another several hours before succumbing to their sore feet and the need for a break. Since leaving the bridge the land had changed noticeably. Grass still dominated the landscape, but the trees were less numerous and of a different species, and the soft soil gave way to a rockier ground in increasingly larger patches.

They headed off the main road again and sat against one of the many tree trunks. They rested and finished off their current bottle of water and began on one of the few remaining, choosing to save what little food they had for later.

Riley looked around at their resting area and observed small spots of snow that had collected in the shadows. "We must be getting higher up."

"Feels like it."

"Yeah... not exactly what I wanted to do right before winter."

The breeze was cool and created a symphony of sound as it blew through the leaves of the canopy above them. Ellie managed to fall asleep from exhaustion as soon as they stopped, though Riley couldn't pull her focus away from the throbbing in her legs.

They rested for an hour amongst the wooden giants that seemed to disappear into the sky. After her pain began to subside Riley decided they rested long enough and reached down to sift through grass and dirt. Her fingers brushed against a small pebble which she picked up and lobbed it at the other girl passed out across from her.

Ellie shot up from the impact and flailed her hands around sluggishly deflecting further imaginary rocks. "What the hell?"

"Sorry to disturb your rest princess, but we should get moving."

"Fuck you, you could've just shook me awake."

"But there's no fun in that."

"Whatever." Ellie reached over and picked up her backpack and slung it over her shoulders. "Oh look at that, I'm ready before you are."

"Wow, you're cranky when you wake up. Remind me to let you have your beauty sleep in the future." She got shot a frown which she shrugged off with a chuckle. "Let's go." She shouldered her backpack as well and they headed north down the road again.

Another large stretch of road was put between them and the trunk where they rested, the area now becoming mostly rocks and trees. My butts were thinner than they were in the morning but still provided enough cover to ease their midday walking. They hit a curve in the road and spotted to the right side a large green metal sign sprouting itself out of the ground that read 'Welcome to Bristol' in large white letters. Below that was displayed 'City Limits' along with the estimated population and founding year: 235,700 and 1859 respectively.

They were able to barely make out the tops of some buildings just over a hill and through some trees farther down the curve some miles ahead.

"Finally! Holy shit we made it."

"Never thought I'd be so happy to see some office buildings."

"No kidding."

"We've got a bit to go still, but at least we're in the home stretch."

It took another two hours straight of walking before they reached what they considered the actual city limits, not the boundary set by the sign. Stores started reappearing for the first time since they reached the country side, though still sparse, and cars were roaming the streets. The tallest buildings, where they assumed downtown to be, were still another hour's walk.

Ellie was mesmerized by the view but was snapped out of her daze when the realization that they had no place to sleep and still didn't have a plan flew into her mind. "What now?"

"Well, we just need to head towards downtown. I know that the refuge is in there somewhere, I just don't exactly know where."

As they neared the center of the city the amount of people walking the sidewalks largely grew, the placement of stores was no longer spotty, and trees and grass gave way to buildings and asphalt. They reached what they felt to be downtown, the highest congestion of cars and people their indicator. They both walked in amazement at the amount of people swarming around, their eyes darting back and forth between buildings of towering height and graffiti infected walls. The roaring noise of construction work and road noise was something they'd never experienced before.

"This city is insane!"

"How are we ever gonna find the place in all this?"

"Well, like I said before. We just wander around for a while and see what we find."

"Really? Wander around? That could take forever. Just ask someone."

Riley groaned. "Fine."

She stood to the side of the sidewalk and tried to make eye contact with anyone walking by which she hoped would force them to stop. Numerous people passed her before she succeeded with a middle aged woman dressed rather luxuriously in a nice coat and jewelry adorning most places it could be attached to.

"Excuse me!" The woman adverted her gaze like the others and attempted to continue on. "I just have a question, please. A quick one."

The woman stopped and turned back towards her, a clearly annoyed expression graced her face. "Yes?"

"We're looking for a place called Bristol Refuge. Have you heard of it?"

She shook her head. "Sorry, I haven't." She immediately began to walk off again.

"Well do you know who we could ask ab-" She stopped as the woman walked out of earshot. "Bitch." She turned toward Ellie. "I asked."

"Went well."

"Yeah it did. Can we continue on now? I really doubt anyone is going to know where it is, or have even heard of a homeless shelter off the top of their heads."

Ellie just rolled her eyes and nodded at the same time, conflicting emotions of agreement and being annoyed.

They continued to pick people and streets at random to ask and to walk in their entirety, looking for any clues or signs that might tip them off in the right direction. After a dozen streets and several hours later, the sun was beginning to set among the mountain peaks. It threw shadows out of immense length throughout the city, those that were casted by the largest buildings blacked out entire city blocks.

Ellie was more concerned about their situation than Riley was, due to inexperience as she had hesitantly called it. "We really should find somewhere to sleep for the night. Did you spot any places as we were walking?"

"Well, the good thing about being homeless is that we can sleep anywhere we want. So… yeah, I spotted a ton of places."

Her expression dropped flat again. "Not funny."

"You'll appreciate that later. But, honestly, we really can sleep anywhere. There are a ton of alleys and benches everywhere. I also saw a park a few streets over. You did say you wanted to sleep beneath the stars under a tree."

Ellie thought on it for a moment before coming around to the idea. "That sounds okay, I guess. They're not going to kick us out or anything are they?"

"They? You sound a little paranoid."

"You know, cops, or whatever."

Riley shrugged. "I never had an issue with that. But if you're concerned, I'm sure we'd be able to find a spot that's hidden from the street."

"I'd prefer that."

Riley led them back over several streets to the east and up one to the outlying's of a park. It wasn't much, but it was generously spotted with golden trees and was a grassy haven among the hard surfaces of the city. It served decent enough as a sleeping area and gave some privacy from the night owls and early birds that would undoubtedly walk by at all hours of the day.

They walked throughout until they found a spot that satisfied Ellie's requirements. They fell onto their backs, their bags still underneath them, and let their muscles unwind. They watched as the first stars started to appear in the sky and listened to the still clamoring city around them.

Once settled in the pain of excessive thirst, hunger, and aching from their legs became the forefront though of their minds. Riley rolled over and pulled the backpack out from under her and reached deep into one of the pockets. She pulled out the last of their water, a couple of the plastic pastries, some breaded chicken, and plain bread that were bound in napkins.

"This is all we've got left."

"That's not even enough for tonight. What are we doing about tomorrow?"

"Well, we have several options. We could scavenge for food. It's humiliating and unsanitary, but when you're hungry, you stop caring about all that." She unscrewed the cap from a bottle and took several drinks. "We'll have to be really hungry to reach that point. We can also steal shit from grocery stores and convenient stores. Places like that. We could only really steal once or twice from them before needing to lie low for a while. And of course there's the risk of being caught."

"I'd rather not escape one jail just to end up in another."

"Good point. A third choice that we'll do, and yes, I said we will do, is beg for money."

"I'm not much of a socializer." Ellie kept staring into the sky, not putting much thought into her comment which Riley scoffed at.

"We're not putting on any graces here, Ellie. Have you even seen a homeless person before?"

"If we're going to beg for money wouldn't we need to interact with people?"

"Well, yes and no. We'll essentially just sit our asses on the ground and hold out a cup. It sounds stupid, but you'd be surprised how much you could actually get from doing that. But of course we'll have to make a sign or something in order to make 'em feel bad."

"Lovely."

Ellie's obvious unhappy sounding demeanor forced Riley into a more delicate one herself. "I know this is all probably a hell of a shock to you. It would be to anyone. But you're not going this alone, okay? You've got me... you need to know that."

Ellie sighed then tilted her head to focus on Riley. "The thing is, I don't even really feel anything right now. I'm just kind of numb from the whole thing, like it's not real. And yes, I know you'll be here, and I'm happy you are, really. But…" She dropped her focus toward the ground. "I'd just rather not talk about this right now."

"Okay… we don't have to." She forced a smile, hopefully sympathetic looking. "Let's just finish off our food and get some sleep. We'll need as much energy for tomorrow as we can get."

They ate through the rest of their supplies and drank the rest of the water they had brought with them for the trip. Ellie pulled out the blanket from her bag and threw it on the grass, Riley doing the same but laying hers on top. They both swapped out their jackets for the heavier ones before settling into their makeshift bed.

"We'll find somewhere better to sleep tomorrow. And an even better one soon."

"I hope so."

"We will."


	20. Haven

20;

Riley slowly opened her eyes and reached around to her back to relieve the stiffness built up from the night but found her hand stopped by an obstacle. As she felt the contour to try and discern what it was she let out a groan of frustration.

"God damn it, not again."

Ellie's shoulder had found a groove in Riley's back that it crammed itself in to. She jostled her out of her sleep to which she groaned in response.

"Get your shoulder out of my back."

Ellie groaned again and slid herself sideways, creating a gap between them.

The park's grass was spotted brown and green, large chunks dying away from the approaching winter. The sun was well into midday and people were freely roaming the sidewalks that encompassed the parks. The birds sung their songs in the trees that were spotted throughout and the day had continued on as normal as though their situation was trivial.

Riley leaned up and crawled her way out of the blanket and over to her backpack. She reached for it but stopped short and sighed realizing they finished off their food the night before. She turned back around and pulled the blanket off Ellie which caused her to try a weak attempt at snagging it back.

"You're an ass." Ellie grumbled and threw an arm over her eyes to block out the daylight.

"Whatever. We gotta get up." She threw the blanket into the pocket of her bag that was once occupied by the food, an unfortunate vacancy. She looked back down at the still unmoving girl on the other blanket. "Come on."

Ellie continued to ignore her which prompted Riley to start nudging her back and forth with her foot.

"Okay, okay, I'm getting up. God you're annoying."

Riley rolled her eyes and pushed her foot back against her and started rocking again.

"Alright! Sorry, geez."

"I'm gonna have to deal with an angry Ellie every morning aren't I?"

"Only if you keep disrupting my sleep."

"Oh come on, that's so not fair. I already have to deal with a shoulder or an ass in my back every night, now this?"

"You don't have to deal with it. You get to."

Riley laughed. "What? What does that even mean?"

Ellie swiped the air between them. "Leave me alone, I'm still sleepy." She rubbed her eyes and managed to lean herself up from the bed.

"'Bout time. Alright, so now that we're finally made it to this city, we only have one thing planned. Find this refuge. We didn't have much time yesterday, so hopefully we'll be luckier today."

"Just give me a minute to get something to eat."

"We're out. Last night, remember?"

Ellie moaned. "What do we do then?"

"Well, hate to tell ya, but I doubt we're eating right now. If we can find this place then we can spend the rest of our time getting food. I just don't want to waste time begging right now."

"It's not wasting time if it gets food in us."

"Ellie…"

"Yeah, I get it. So what, we just start walking again?"

"We'll walk around same as before, yeah. Ask people again also."

Ellie wiped the traces of sleep from her eyes and packed her bag with the remaining blanket still on the grass. They both again swapped out their jackets and headed out and away from the park. They walked past the trees and the grass which instantly converted into cement.

The traffic was mild compared to the day before since the time was past the early morning rush hour. The congestion of people seemed considerably less as well. They made a note of which streets they had already searched and so they began at the next one over.

Within an hour of unsuccessful walking they turned onto a sparse street where something caught Riley's attention. An older woman with gray hair and heavy clothes stood motionless in front of an electronics store window. The TV's behind it were blaring out a news program that was just loud enough to be heard through the glass.

"She certainly looks homeless. Might know something." Ellie grabbed her arm as she began walking toward the woman and shot her a glance of concern which Riley deflected. "It's fine."

As they approached the woman it became clear that she seemed to be in a daze and unaware of her surroundings. She spoke what she heard from the TVs, though lagged slightly behind.

"-we're going back to the streets tonight to the scene of an accident involving two cars and a motorcycle. As our latest aerial footage shows, the wreckage between the three is strewn about the intersection an-"

Riley kept moving and nodded off to the side towards the street. They walked around the woman and kept on with their patrol.

Ellie glanced at Riley with a look of confusion. "She seemed… off. Why'd you try her anyway?"

"Yeah, she was pretty gone. I imagine the best people to ask about a homeless shelter are the homeless. Makes sense to me anyway. Just... didn't quite work out with her."

The old woman and the other dozens of useless people they encountered were wearing on their optimism, but they knew they couldn't afford to stop trying. It wasn't much later until they reached a farther out street where Riley pointed towards a ragged looking man sitting on the sidewalk a couple hundred feet away.

"We can try again."

"After last time? Really?"

"They're not all like that. Worth a shot."

Ellie shrugged it off and let Riley lead them across the street and farther down until they crossed in front of the man. He was what Ellie expected a homeless person would look like: layered dirty clothes that were ragged at the ends, scruffy facial hair, and a general unpleasantness about him. He was sitting on a square of cardboard with a few of his belongings scattered on it including his collection cup. He had another cardboard cutout propped up with a poorly scribbled message on it, 'Anything will help. God bless.' She found it generic but didn't question its potential effectiveness.

The man sat with poor posture and robotically pleaded as people walked by, the girls included. "Can you spare any change?"

Ellie kept silent not wanting to associate with him and let Riley do all the talking. "We're actually in the same position you are."

He eyed them up and down. "If you can't help, keep moving. You're blocking the path."

"I wanted to ask you a question actually."

He grunted out of annoyance and tried and get the attention of the people that were walking around them.

"Come on, man. Just one question."

He closed his eyes, exhaled, and reopened them staring right at her. "Will it make you leave?" Riley nodded. "What is it?"

"We're looking for this place called a refuge. It's here in the city somewhere. It takes in homeless kids and helps them out."

"Never heard of it." He once again started looking at the people moving around her and trying to get their attention.

Riley slid sideways and blocked his view. "Well who can we ask then?"

"Look, kid, I don't know alright? Go to the damn soup kitchen, maybe they can help."

She was willing to take any leads. "Alright. Where's that?"

"Oh my god, kid. 7th and Kessler. Now leave me the hell alone."

She nodded and noted his advice. The girls continued on their walk down the street, not sure where exactly that intersection was.

The interaction with the man was pretty much how Ellie expected it to go. "He was a nasty old man."

"Nah, there's plenty worse. Besides, when you're his age and in his situation you tend to forgo pleasantries."

"Yeah, I guess."

They knew that they already had walked down 7th St. but had no idea which direction Kessler was in. They stopped and asked people on the street who were finally useful and pointed them in the right direction. It wasn't far, but was easy to miss.

The area around the intersection was noticeably more rundown than the streets and area around the park they slept in. Chain link fences topped with coiled barbed wire surrounded most businesses and the landscaping hadn't been tended to in some time, or with much care. Ellie spotted a small building tucked in between two thrift shops towards the southeast corner. It was a small discreet building with a small sign out front that read 'Soul Bowl'.

"Think that's it?"

"God I hope so. I'm sick of walking."

They crossed the street and pushed their way through the door which opened up to a small room filled with long white tables and a serving station not unlike what they were used to back at the orphanage. There were a couple of people standing behind the counter with hairnets, ladles in hand, serving people as they shuffled by with their bowls. The walls were painted a bright yellow with numerous pictures hung upon it. Most looked like homeless people that probably frequented here, the others of the staff.

"Holy shit it smells so good in here. We should get some."

Riley was hesitant. "I don't think they'll just give us food. Pretty sure you have to pay for it."

"Are you sure? I thought places like these always just served out free food."

Riley looked around and got the attention of one of the employees, perhaps volunteers, standing around talking to the people sitting at the tables. He walked over, all smiles.

"Hey, my friend and I have never… done this before. Is the food here free?"

"'Fraid not today. We do serve free food for one weekend a month, but that's not for a while." He saw the look of disappointment from Ellie. "But it's really cheap. Just a couple dollars for a bowl of soup and some noodles. You won't find food cheaper in the city."

"I have another question too."

He turned his attention back toward the girl with the dark skin. "What's that?"

"We're looking for a place called Bristol Refuge here in the city. Heard of it?"

"Hm, not me personally, but Cheryl runs the place and knows all about the services offered here in the city." He turned around and pointed toward a narrow hallway. "Take it down and to the right, you'll see her office in there."

"Thanks."

"Good luck."

They moved alongside the right side of the room and through the narrow gap between the serving line and the wall, bypassing the line of people. They walked down the hallway which progressively looked more like an office with each step. They peered into each room as they passed them and found a woman sitting behind a desk staring at her computer in one of later ones. Her room was stacked with unpacked boxes and sheet paper laying everywhere, the walls a less lively beige.

"Hi... one of your workers said we should come see you. Are you Cheryl?"

The woman picked her head up from the screen and slowly analyzed the girls standing in her doorway. "I am. And who are you two?"

"I'm Riley and this is Ellie."

"Nice to meet you girls. What can I do for you?"

"We're looking for this place called Bristol Refuge."

The woman paused long enough after the question to cause the girls to lose some hope. She reconnected with them after her eyebrows shot up. "Oh! Yes, right. The name confused me. It's called 'Safe Haven' now. I haven't heard that other name in a long time."

Both of the girls regained some of their wavered optimism. "Great! Do you know where we can find the place?"

"I do. One second." The woman swiveled in her chair and grabbed a small piece of stationary and a pencil from the edge of her desk. She scribbled on it for a good minute and passed it to Ellie who immediately scanned it over.

"The address is at the top and a sketch on how to get there below that. It's crude, but it should get you there just fine. Hopefully that helps."

"Absolutely. Thank you."

"No problem. Anything else I can do for you?"

"That's it. Thanks again, we really appreciate it."

"Be safe." The woman smiled back at her and returned her focus onto her computer.

Riley hustled out of the office and followed Ellie down the hallway, through the gap, and back out the main door. They stood at the street's edge for a moment to get their bearings.

"Well come on. Which way do we go?"

"Hold your horses, I'm figuring it out." Ellie held up the piece of paper in front of them and oriented it to the way they were facing. "It looks like we need to go down that street there for three blocks and to the left two more after that."

They followed Cheryl's directions and wound their way around the city as accurately as they could with a mostly featureless sketch of the area. They reached a building and compared the address on the paper to the number nailed to the wall.

"I guess this is it. Looks like it's one of those places you see on TV of those attorneys with the really stupid commercials."

"It can look like a dump for all I care, as long as it can help."

They were unsure of what to expect from a place that they've rested their entire hope on since the moment they left the orphanage. To them it was an all or nothing moment. They both breathed out their nerves, pulled on the glass door, and walked in.

The place was a single large room, larger than the soup kitchen as far as they could tell, and had several areas sectioned off for different purposes. One area had a couple of chairs and a table for whatever task, another had a TV and a couple of bean bags in front of it. It was similar to the great room of the orphanage, just scaled down. Kids of their age had already taken up possession of the sections and few others were roaming freely in and out of the building.

A dark-skinned man, likely in his mid-to-late 20s, was leaned over in front of a table near the back of the room and away from the foot traffic. He had medium-length black hair and wore a gray shirt and some black framed reading glasses. There was a bulletin board hanging on the wall in front of him that had pictures of at least a couple dozen kid's faces on it.

Riley glanced over at Ellie and then back at the man. "Hey, you work here?"

The man stopped what he was doing and turned to face the girls. An emotion of interest rolled across his face. "I haven't seen you two here before."

"We just got here yesterday."

"I see." He stood upright and walked over to them. "Considering the likely reason you're here, I can't say I'm thrilled to meet you." He stuck out his hand to the girls who both shook it with confusion. "My name is Henry. And yes, you can say I work here. I run the place."


	21. Chapter 21

21;

The pictures on the board were lined up in four different rows, each tacked on with small metal push pins. There was nothing written on them or otherwise identifying them, simply the faces of kids with most of them smiling.

Henry watched the girls carefully looking it over. "These are all the kids that have come in here and that I've helped in some aspect over the past year. There are obviously far too many pictures on here. I'd prefer not to have any." He paused for a moment and sighed. "Most of them I see on a semi-regular basis in and out of here. Some of them I haven't seen in quite a while. I hope things have improved for them..." He took his focus off his board and back to the girls. "And what can I do for you two?"

The girls glanced at each other before Riley spoke up. "We've walked a long ways to… get away from some stuff. We're just looking for help. Things like food and somewhere to sleep."

"Most of the kids I help are in the same position, so I think I can be of some use. I'll give you the rundown. I call this building 'Safe Haven'. It's a place where I can help the troubled or homeless youth of the city."

"In what way?"

"In regards to finding a more permanent shelter for them or providing a temporary place to sleep for the night. I also look out for jobs and post them here when they come up, as well as schooling information and, should you like, adoption and fostering opportunities. Unfortunately I can't do much for food, that'll be your responsibility."

"We actually found a soup kitchen before we came here. They helped us find this place."

"Soul Bowl?" Ellie nodded at the question. "Did you speak with Cheryl there?"

"We did."

"Good. Then head back there when you're hungry and tell her to give you both some food. Make sure you say I told her to."

"Cool, okay."

"Sleeping arrangements. Do you have any?"

"Not yet. We slept in the park last night."

"Not a good place." He swiveled to the side and unobstructed their view of a door behind him. "There are limited beds that I offer here in the backroom. All of them are signed out for tonight and the next, but I can sign you up for one after that."

"That'd be great."

"Alright. I can get you two if you want, but it'll take longer."

"One's fine. We'll share."

He nodded his head. "Okay. As far as a more stable sleeping situation, I'll sign you up for a program the city offers. It'll get you a room for a while, likely with some other people. It costs a little a month, but it's something you can afford even with just begging money. The only problem is that it takes some time to kick in so you'll be on your own for a while."

"Can we be signed up even if we came from another city?" Riley was still worried about doing anything that could lead to them being relocated back.

"You're here now. Doesn't matter where you were."

Ellie was more immediately concerned with the sleeping situation. "How often can we sleep here?"

"I sign the beds out on a rotational basis. That way everyone gets a place to sleep at night." He motioned toward the board on the wall. "Though because of how many come in and out of here, you may only get one night a week to sleep here. It's only fair." His eyes danced back and forth in thought. "I think that pretty much covers it. Unless there's something else, I'll get your information and we'll go from there. Sound okay?"

"Absolutely."

The three of them sat at his table and worked out the paperwork for just a few minutes, the majority of it needing to be done by Henry later. They gave him their names and some information about themselves, though there wasn't much to tell. He clipped the papers together and pushed them off to the side.

"I'll get these going later today. Again, it could be a few days or it could take a few weeks. It seems to be random. Just check back every couple of days for an update if it isn't too hassling." He stood up, causing them to as well, and shook their hands again. "You're free to come and go as you please, but just be sure to abide by the sleeping schedule."

"Of course. Thanks again, you're exactly what we needed."

"You're welcome." He smiled and watched them head back through the small building and out the main doors.

Once outside Riley turned to face Ellie to gloat but was instead surprised by being pulled into a hug. She stood startled for a second before relaxing into Ellie's hold and resting her hands against her back.

Ellie let go and glanced away with an embarrassed smile.

Riley returned the smile but arched her brows. "What was that for?"

"Just feeling… relieved I guess."

"Well yeah. Me too."

"I know, but... I just had a really bad feeling this place wasn't going to help."

Riley threw a tight arm around Ellie. "You worry too much, you know that? And besides, even if it hadn't, we'd have figured something out together. But, that doesn't matter now, does it?"

"Nope."

"Right."

They grinned at each other again as Riley started walking them back in the direction they came. "Hungry?"

Ellie scoffed. "Oh my god, yes."

She pulled out the piece of paper Cheryl gave her and flipped it upside down. They followed the directions backwards through the streets and reached the same unassuming building as before. Inside was noticeably busier. More people were waiting in line and the available seating was readily shrinking. They quickly scanned the workers and found Cheryl not among them so they squeezed past the line on the right and headed behind the counter towards her office. They poked their heads in and found her in the same spot as before.

"Hey, Cheryl."

The woman looked up and pushed her chair back slightly. "Hi again girls. Did you find the place alright?"

"Yes, thanks again. It helped a lot."

"Good, glad to hear it. Henry does some amazing work over there."

"He does." Ellie unintentionally began rubbing the back of her neck. "…speaking of which-"

Cheryl interrupted with a slight smile. "Free food right?"

"Uh, yeah."

"It's fine. Henry and I have an understanding. Go ahead and wait in line, tell them I said it's free for today. But remember, from now on you'll have to pay."

"Got it."

They nodded and headed back out into the room and stood in the back. The line was full of an eclectic collection of people. Some have obviously been homeless for a long period of time, dirty and ragged, while others seemed much cleaner and perhaps just down on their luck and needed cheap food.

They eventually reached the front and told them about Cheryl's permission. They were each poured a bowl of soup that looked much like standard chicken noodle. A generous amount of some kind of pasta noodle was served inside it along with some water on the side.

They were both excited, as one could be in a soup kitchen, to be eating something other than leftover scraps. The fact that it was hot made it that much better. They sat at one of the long tables alternating between slurping down soup and gulping water, paying no mind to manners or the fact that someone had set immediately beside them and was watching in interest.

The man was kempt looking, despite the layered clothes attire common among the homeless, and somewhere in his late twenties. He waited for a break in their gorging before speaking out with an unexpectedly soothing voice. "So, you two have no place to sleep tonight?"

They immediately stopped eating and uncomfortably glanced at him, their faces not angled far from their bowls.

"Oh, I'm sorry." The man nervously chuckled. "I overheard you at Safe Haven. I was sitting nearby."

Ellie's face showed obvious caution as she glanced at Riley before digging into her bowl again. Riley chose to be more upfront and furrowed her brow at him.

"You followed us?"

"I…no, well, sort of."

"We're fine."

He sighed and attempted to recover. "Perhaps I can start over. My name is Ethan. You're new here and it seems like you don't know the area. I've been here for a while and I just wanted to suggest somewhere you can sleep for the night. It's a little spot under the nearby overpass where a few of us have gathered. It's out of sight from the street and we've set up a small living arrangement there. It's not quite a home, but it's something."

The girls looked at each other, unsure of what to make of the man or the offer. Ellie spoke out this time after they reached a silent agreement.

"Like she said, we're fine."

"I get that you're skeptical, that's good. You should be. But you also shouldn't be so quick to dismiss someone just trying to be helpful." He stood up from the table but only made it half way before sitting back down. "Let me ask you a question. Do you know where you're sleeping tonight?"

Ellie internally groaned and shrugged the question off. "Probably the park again."

"And like Henry said, that's not a good idea. The cops like to patrol around there at night to catch squatters."

"We were fine there last night."

"Do you really want to risk it?"

Riley sighed, knowing that a detainment by the cops is the last thing they need. "Where is this place?"

Ethan's expression brightened. "It's down 3rd Ave., take it east until you hit the freeway. But if you don't mind, I think it'd be easier if I just showed you. We're not so easy to find."

Riley leaned into Ellie's ear and whispered while Ethan quietly looked on. "What do you think?"

"I don't know. We could try it, I guess. If we don't like it we can just leave."

"Seems hard to believe he just wants to help."

"Up to you."

Riley leaned back and, after a moment of thought, nodded with agreement at the man. "Alright, we'll come check it out."

"Cool. I'm sure you'll like it."

Ethan smiled at the girls who, in return, remained in silence for the rest of the meal, unsure of what to make of the stranger sitting next to them.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One of my favorite chapters... for reasons.

22;

They followed the man who called himself Ethan down a couple of streets to the left after exiting the soup kitchen and then several streets down. The overpass he mentioned he was staying under was in sight the entire walk, very gradually getting closer and larger with each passing step.

The shadow of the large looming highway gently crawled over them as they approached its foundation. They followed him through a large hole in a half-fallen chain fence and past cement structural pillars to a small gloomy clearing accented with small slits of light from gaps in the highway above. Within it was some sort of makeshift camp.

It was sectioned off with shallow walls of cardboard, each section similar in that they all had: either a couch or chairs, of which were dilapidated to an extent; a mattress with sheets and pillows, a couple of them with a box frame for support; and a random assortment of items they must have been collected over time. The four sections were split into two groups of two, each group separated from each other by a couple dozen feet.

In a spot near the center of the four was a small circle of chairs and stools, an area that was clearly used for talking or eating. In the center of the circle was a grimy barbeque grill, and near one of the stools within the circle was a stash of food, mostly canned goods and boxed edibles.

Ethan turned around to face them and held his arms out to his sides. "Welcome." His voice was muffled from the roaring echo of cars on the road above. "We actually have a pretty nice setup down here. Provides protection from the elements too."

Ellie was poorly hiding the expression on her face. "It's…"

Riley cut her off. "Not bad."

Ethan started in again after quietly chuckling. "Thanks." He looked back at Ellie. "Probably not what you're used to. But like she said, it's not bad. There are a five us that live down here, me included. We all have our own living quarters that we've personalized."

He began walking towards the little settlement with the girls following behind at a comfortable distance. "Any food we find we group it together in the center and equally share it between all of us." He stopped as they reached the center. "So, that's about it. What do you think?"

"Who are the others?"

"Oh right. Well the only person here right now is Charles." He motioned towards the back section of the left half. "He's, well… he's not exactly all there. He contributes to our food, but keeps to himself most of the time. So don't expect a conversation out of him. The other three are Malcolm, Sharon, and Tess."

He pointed to the other three sections in progressive order. "That one is Malcolm and Sharon's, the other one over there is Tess', and next to hers is mine. We don't have much, but you're free to stay here if you want. We have a couple of extra mattresses you can use."

Ellie was about to thank him, but Riley spoke out first. "Sorry if I seem ungrateful, but why?"

"Why what?"

"Why are you helping us? The last time I was homeless I got shit from everyone. No one wanted to even talk to each other, let alone help each other."

"Sounds like you hung out with the wrong people."

Ellie cut in while Riley was still dumbfounded. "Thanks for inviting us. We might need to stay a few weeks."

"That's all?"

"Hopefully. Maybe more. We talked with Henry and he's signing us up for some sort of city program thing for shelter."

"Oh, right. You're lucky you're still eligible for that."

Riley responded bluntly. "I take it you're not? Otherwise you wouldn't be staying here."

Ellie winced from her comment though she had the same thought.

Ethan seemed caught off guard by her frankness but didn't seem upset by it. "You're not wrong. There are a few requirements that need to be met to be eligible, and I don't meet a couple of them. One is being under eighteen, another is… well, it doesn't matter." The girls snuck a look of confusion at each other, something Ethan didn't miss but chose to ignore. "I take it you're not going to be busy for tonight?"

Ellie spoke flatly from the realization of their circumstance his question caused. "Not for a while."

"Then I can fill you in on the city. Like the best places to collect money, get food. Stuff like that."

The girls agreed and sat down with him for the last few hours of the day discussing areas to stake out or to stay away from for begging, people to cozy up to or to avoid entirely, and places to get cheap food or, if desperate, free food. He drew out areas of the city on scraps lying around to help better visually familiarize them with the city.

Throughout their talk two other members filtered in, each introducing themselves to their new temporary roommates.

Malcolm was around sixty-five years old and was as polite as any other man would be in a far more favorable circumstance than his. He shared a section with Sharon, a woman of roughly the same age. They considered themselves unofficially married for the past ten years, all of which have been spent in the same situation they are now. He was an outspoken man whereas she was noticeably more low-key.

Tess, the last inhabitant, always arrived much later at night, usually early morning. They didn't get the chance to talk to her, but they did get her story from Ethan. She was in her late thirties, about ten years older than Ethan was, and was a relative newcomer to being homeless. A few years prior she had a home and a job in the city, wasn't much, but it worked. She lost her job for a reason, or reasons, she never cared to talk about, and subsequently her home. She survived for a while, but eventually succumbed to doing jobs for scumbags at night. This night seemingly no exception.

The five of them, not including Tess who was already gone for the evening, gathered near the central grill and started a fire inside with scraps of wood and paper they would gather throughout the day. They heated up the food, mostly beans and other vegetables, over the fire and scooped out spoonsful straight from the can.

Charles stayed quiet, eating down his food, while Malcolm and Sharon chatted it up with Ethan and the new girls about nothing in particular. Neither party wanted to pry into the personal lives of the others so soon after meeting. They all finished their food and said their goodbyes before finally heading off to their beds, leaving Ethan and the girls behind.

Ethan seemed satisfied enough with the sustenance and wanted to head off for the night as well. "See? They're not bad people."

"Never thought they would be."

Ethan simply smiled before a thought ran through his head. "One second, let me grab your beds."

He walked off to the side and disappeared behind one of the pillars before coming back a minute later dragging behind him a less-than-white mattress. He let it fall onto the ground which forced a butt of dust to be kick up and headed back for the other before Ellie cut his walk short.

"One's good, don't worry about it."

He eyed the two closely and slowly nodded his head. "…okay. Well, I'm glad that you guys decided to stay. See you in the morning." He walked past Tess' bed and to his back section of the right half and disappeared into the dark.

The echoes of the cars above were still apparent but had started to fade into the background of their minds, turning them into more of an intrusive white noise. Riley examined the mattress and gave a sound of disgust before throwing a blanket of the top of it, a barrier between it and them. Ellie pulled out hers and let it drop on the other. Riley laid down and pulled it halfway over her, leaving enough for Ellie who remained sitting at the edge of the mattress.

Riley leaned herself up, figuring something was wrong, and softened her voice as she always did with Ellie. "Hey, you okay?"

The continual chatter between them throughout the day and their shared driving purpose distracted her from the reality of their lives. However, once the night settled over the city and the other members of the camp went to bed, the silence came back, bringing with it what the day kept away.

Ellie stared at the ground and let her words trickle out. "Do you think we did the right thing?"

"What do you mean?"

"Leaving like we did. We just left them there… with him."

Riley sighed and straightened her posture. "I don't know, Ellie. But I do know we did what we could. We told the other orphans. Hell, we even got the cops involved."

"I guess. It just feels like we could've done more…" Her mind wandered slowly from the subject onto her surroundings. "Though I'm not sure we upgraded much. I mean look at this place."

"Yeah, it's not great, but it could be worse."

"Could be worse? We're sleeping under a highway on a disgusting mattress, Riley. It's a shithole in a shitty town. I don't want to live here… like this."

"I don't either, Ellie. I'd rather be in a warm comfy bed too, but that opportunity doesn't really exist to us right now, does it?"

She waited for a response but received nothing. She sighed and softened her voice again.

"Look, we slept under a bridge before and we managed. Besides this is kind of a step up from that. At least we have something to sleep on this time. There's even food here, better than that shit we were carrying with us." Riley put a hand on the shoulder of the girl still facing away. "We'll have our own room in the next month. We can start school again, get some money, whatever. It'll be alright."

Ellie spun around to face her and sat cross-legged on the bed. "How do you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Stay so positive. This last week has been just… horrible , depressing, exhausting. This whole thing, everything, is just so screwed up. I don't think I could do it if it weren't for you. I know I couldn't."

Riley could only blankly stare at her for a moment from the sudden admission before shaking her head out of a daze. "You're right. Everything is really fucked up, like we're in some sort of nightmare. But we have to deal with it." She sighed and looked around. "And don't worry about this… place. I don't like it any more than you do, but we'll be out of here soon." She forced a small smile which immediately turned into a scoff. "I don't think I've ever had that word used to describe me before. Like ever."

"Which?"

"Positive."

"You are though."

"I'm really not. Pessimistic more than anything."

"...but everything you just said... and you always seem so sure of yourself. At least when you're around me, you are."

Riley paused, unsure if what she wanted to suddenly say at that very moment should be given a voice. She could feel her heart pick up speed the longer she stared at the girl's emerald eyes in silence, her nerves building exponentially. She exhaled as heavily as she could and spoke what she wanted. "It's because I'm around you."

Ellie kept staring unsteadily which Riley took as a sign to clarify.

"Look, when we're together I… don't hate everyone. Which is saying a lot. And maybe I might even feel somewhat optimistic. Like our lives won't always be so completely fucked up, you know? We've been through some terrible shit, Ellie, and there's probably gonna be more, but we pulled through. And I feel that we'll always pull through as long as we're together..."

As her last words dissipated the silence between them grew deafening.

Ellie stared at Riley nervously with her heart in her throat, her focus unwavering as she stared at the girl who seemed to be just as intensely staring back. Her eyes suddenly shifted downwards and in an instant she leaned in with a kiss where she lingered only briefly. She slowly pulled away and looked into Riley's surprised eyes, finding the rest of her face expressionless and hard to read. She waited in agony for a response which quickly turned to regret.

"…shit, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have done that. I thought-"

Riley cut her off by closing the gap between them again and pressing their lips together once more. She rested her hand behind the redhead's neck and pulled her in closer, this time lasting much longer than briefly.

A motorcycle eventually roared overhead and became the deciding factor that caused them to separate. They fell away from each other slowly and stared at each other in disbelief with their hearts now thundering in their chests.

Ellie was the first to regain her composure, albeit barely. "...so."

Riley let out an exhale as if though she had been holding her breath for an hour. "...that happened."

"Yeah... it really did."

The surprised looks between each other grew into embarrassed grinning until Riley broke it with a voice of undue concern. "That was okay...right? We're okay? I mean-"

Ellie scoffed and scrunched her brow. "What? Yeah of course we're okay."

"Sure?"

"I did kiss you first you know."

"Okay, okay." Riley let another moment of quiet pass before smirking. "You really should have done that sooner. Just sayin'."

"Me? Well what about you, Ms. Fucking Confident? You had plenty of chances."

"I uh... I'm confident in other areas."

"Right."

Ellie rolled her eyes and went back to gazing childishly at her best friend, though now unexpectedly more than that. "Thanks by the way."

"...no problem. I think I could probably get used to that."

"Not that. For making me feel better. You always do." She grunted after hearing the words escape her mouth. "That was sappy."

"Yeah it was. And anytime." Riley glanced over to their new roommates then back to Ellie. "We really should get some sleep. It's been a long day."

"Might be a bit hard to after that."

"Yeah, but I'm sure you'll manage."

Ellie unfolded her legs, slid herself in between the blankets, and rested her head facing towards Riley who was already doing the same towards her.

"Goodnight, Riley."

"Goodnight, Ellie."


	23. Chapter 23

23;

Ellie woke up the next morning with the sun's rays settling directly onto her face. She closed her eyes hard and turned over to avoid the light only to realize she was alone on the mattress. Her eyes opened into a squint and spotted Riley and a woman sitting together in the center circle. She could overhear them familiarizing themselves with each other but must've caught the tail end of their conversation since it ended shortly after she started listening.

She pulled the blanket off of her and managed to slide her legs off to the side and push herself up to her feet, though with a slight unbalance. She wandered over to one of the empty seats next to Riley and across from the woman and sat down.

"Hey." She yawned and spoke with a roughness in her voice.

Riley swiveled around to face her, a grin quickly finding its way to her face. "Hey you." She motioned with a head nod towards the woman. "This is Tess."

"Hi Ellie, nice to meet you." Tess stuck out a hand which Ellie fumbled to shake. The woman had her other hand around the handle of a bitter and poorly made mug of coffee.

The girls could tell she was quite beautiful even though it was hidden underneath an unnecessary amount of makeup. Her mascara was dry and had started to creep downward and onto her cheeks. Her brown hair was fairly long though somewhat mottled.

"Riley and I were just introducing ourselves. It was a bit of a surprise to see a couple new faces in our little camp. Especially ones so young."

Ellie managed to nod and force out some words. "It was a surprise that something like this even exists."

"It was for me too at first. Though I suppose I should be thankful, if you want to call it that, that Sharon found me on the streets and invited me in. It's nice to at least have a fragment of what you're used to." She shifted her focus between the two of them. "Either of you drink coffee?"

Both girls denied it in unison.

Tess laughed while holding her mug steady. "Then this won't do it for you. You'll need the actual good stuff first, then you may be able to tolerate what we have here. Maybe not even then."

Ellie was looking around at the other sectioned off rooms while Tess was talking and took notice each one was empty. "Where is everyone?"

She simply shrugged. "Everyone's got somewhere to be. I don't know what Charles does, he never talks. I assume he's out there begging somewhere, as well as with Sharon and Malcolm. Um… Ethan has some low paying job, but he's saving up to get out of here, which is good, but..."

The girls glanced at each other before Riley spoke out. "What?"

"Alright, don't tell him I told you, but I think he drinks a little too much. He's a good kid, he just needs to kick the habit."

"How about you? What do you do?"

"I work nights. I'd rather just leave it at that." Tess sighed and took another sip. "Anyway, what are your plans for the day? For the two of you?"

Riley modestly answered realizing Ellie was staying quiet. "Not entirely sure. Probably panhandle, or whatever it's called. Start saving up."

"You absolutely should. Plus being two young girls should strike some sympathy in people more than a dirty old man will. Do you know where to?"

"Ethan filled us in."

"Good. Now, if it was up to me, and you may not like this idea, but I would suggest splitting up and hitting different areas. You'll get twice the money in the same amount of time."

"Sounds like a business."

Tess mildly laughed. "I guess it sort of is. Maximize profits and all that." She cleared her throat and took another drink. "Up to you. But for now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get some more sleep." She smiled and shook their hands again before getting up and heading for her bed, turning around only momentarily. "Nice talking to you girls."

They watched as she dropped onto her mattress and below her cardboard wall.

With her out of sight Riley refocused on Ellie who was still rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. "Hey. How'd you sleep?"

"Surprisingly not bad, considering what we slept on."

"Good." Riley spoke through a smile that uncontrollably grew while looking at her.

Ellie reciprocated and then slugged her in the shoulder. "You're such a dork."

"I know." Riley chuckled and then focused at the pile on the ground. "You should eat. Surprisingly a bunch of different stuff to choose from."

Ellie reached down and picked up one of the boxes of cereal from the stash. "Do they care about us, just like, eating their food?"

"Ethan is fine with it. I talked to him this morning before he headed out. As long as we contribute to the stash he doesn't care. Not really sure how to do that, but whatever."

Ellie shrugged and opened the box's top. "Probably get 'em out of those donation bins lying around the city."

Riley's eyes widened. "Wow, I thought you were against the whole stealing thing."

"I don't know what you're talking about, I've stolen plenty with you. Besides, this would be for a better reason than for fun."

"Alright, alright." She sighed after remembering Tess's words. "What do you think about the whole splitting up thing?"

Ellie began scooping out the cereal with her hand. "As much as I'd hate to admit it, she's probably right. We're trying to start on our own essentially, so we're gonna need money. More the better."

Riley agreed and the two sat around talking until Ellie was finished with, what could loosely be considered, her breakfast. They swapped out their clothes for something relatively cleaner from their backpacks and made their way out from under the overpass and onto the street.

Riley pulled out a folded piece of paper from her pocket given to her by Ethan and held it downwards so the sun lit it. The paper listed the best streets and intersections to beg at, apparently because they had the most foot traffic at any given part of the day. They both picked out their first spots and memorized another should they want to move.

Riley shoved it back into her pocket and looked up with concern at Ellie. "You okay? Know what you're doing?"

Ellie scoffed and shook her head. "Oh yeah. Just throw a girl who's never been homeless onto the street to go beg for money from strangers. I'm sure it'll work out fine."

"That… was probably the thickest sarcasm I think I've ever heard. If you don't want to, you can hang out with me instead."

"It's fine. It's just…" She reached up and rubbed her eye. "I'll deal with it. I've gotta get used to it eventually."

"…okay."

Ellie looked away and settled her focus over the city. "Where are we meeting afterwards?"

"Soup kitchen? We'll be hungry by then."

"Alright. Like five?"

"Sure."

They both sighed, uncomfortable with the idea of splitting up after being inseparable for more than six months straight since they met. They stood their ground not wanting to move but gave in and hugged tightly.

"I'll see you in a bit, okay?"

Ellie nodded with great effort. "Okay."

They slowly fell away from each other and set off in opposite directions down the road that ran alongside the overpass. They each took a turn on different roads that led them downtown and towards their chosen spots.

Ellie found her way to the intersection that she had picked from the list. She scouted out her spot on the northeast corner, next to a towering building that likely belonged to some massive corporation. She sat off to its side and set out her collection can that she grabbed on the way out from camp and placed it far enough out to be obvious. She had no cardboard sign, nothing to sit on, deciding instead to forego them as a matter of pride.

When the first people came by she wanted more than anything to sink into her jacket and disappear completely. The embarrassment was crippling.

She watched people in suits and ties hurriedly walk from point A to B, seemingly absentminded to everything and everyone around them, especially her. She wanted their attention but the thought of doing so turn her stomach. She'd rather they notice her without any effort.

She had a direct sight of a clock embedded into one of the buildings which read a half past noon, about lunch time, and figured now would be her best chance at getting some money, if any. She gathered what minimal courage she had and leaned forward and tried to make eye contact with the occasional person as they passed.

"Do you have anything to spare?" She rotated her head back and forth like an oscillating fan. "Please? Something… anything…"

Most were quiet, trying their best to avoid meeting her eyes, which she understood well and wished she could do the same.

"Anyone?"

When that rare person did speak she heard them clearly, but with a heavy heart.

Damn homeless. I wish they could get rid of 'em all.

Useless kid, just get a job.

These people, fortunately, were less common than those willing to contribute a little money. The occasional clang would bring her out of her stupor and cause her to make an effort to thank whoever it was.

Hours of going from being insulted and ridiculed to receiving money and the occasional smile caused her emotions to oscillate heavily. The continual change between being depressed and grateful exhausted her to the point where she eventually became stuck in a gray area between the two.

The sun was dropping to the west rapidly as she watched the clock spin around and felt the air getting colder. She gave up on her posture and pulled her hood over her head and hugged her knees, small efforts at warming herself. The amount of people walking by had trickled away substantially and she felt it would be practically useless to keep trying. But she waited until the hour hand spun around to near five before she got up and brought with her her earnings.

She made her way back through the streets and spotted the orange wall of the kitchen from afar thanks to the setting sun. She walked across the street when it was clear, pulled open the cold handle, and walked through; she sighed in relief and pulled off her hood as the warm air blew over her. A line of people was again snaking its way along the right side of the building and nearing the front door.

She looked to the left and spotted Riley who had stood up the moment she entered the door. She quickly weaved her way over and hugged her as tight as she could, the only comfort she received the entire day. She laid down the can next to her feet and took a seat across from Riley, their hands still joined.

"How'd your first time go? You alright?"

Ellie spoke quietly. "Wasn't great."

"Don't be modest."

She hesitated for moment but spoke honestly. "…I hated it. I hate people."

"I do too, but you can't let it get you down though. People are gonna be assholes. You just kind of have to shrug it off." She gently tapped the can on the ground with her foot. "How'd you do?"

"Haven't checked yet." She leaned over, picked it off the ground, and laid it on the table. She poured out what few coins there were and with them the paper money. They each counted through the stash, Riley the coins and Ellie the paper.

"Twenty-three here."

"Four and half here. About twenty-eight bucks, Ellie. Pretty damn good for just sitting on your ass."

"And freezing. And being insulted. And mocked."

Riley subdued her tone out of empathy. "…it gets easier. I know that sucks to hear and probably doesn't help right now, but it's true."

"Whatever, it's fine. I'll just have to learn to ignore 'em." Ellie looked at the ground and back up at Riley. "Where's yours?"

"I hid it in a spot near where I was. It'll make it easier since I'll just keep going back there."

"What'd you make?"

"Forty-seven."

"Shit, really? How'd you manage that?"

"Yep. People are more willing to help a pathetic sounding and sickly orphan girl."

Ellie just stared at her in disbelief, half-smiling. "I want to say I don't believe you, but honestly I don't doubt it at all."

"Well, I'm not proud of it either. But then again, I don't really care. It works out either way."

Ellie couldn't help but laugh. "I'm not even gonna say anything, only good job."

"Well thank you. I appreciate you appreciating my hard work."

"You're so stupid. Can we get some food now?"

Ellie pocketed her money and left the can on the floor as they got up and went to go stand in line for their cheap, but satisfyingly warm, food. It moved quickly and they were at the front before long with bowls in their hands and four dollars poorer. They took their soup back to the table and tore through it like they hadn't had food in a month.

After finishing they headed back outside where my butts had grown in numbers again and brought with them the same mild wind as the night before. They wound their way through the darker city back to the large overpass with their jackets zipped. They slipped through the busted fence and around the pillar where they spotted two of the other occupants sitting around the grill digging into some cans.

Malcolm was a rather long winded-speaker, but a lively and entertaining man to listen to for short bouts at a time. Ethan however didn't talk much about his day. He worked at some call center in the city where getting yelled and insulted at was a normal part of his job. It diminished his desire to speak some nights and certainly contributed toward his moderate drinking habit, this night especially so. It was a side of him they'd never seen before.

In the time that rolled by while the four of them had their conversation Sharon had joined, as well had Tess before she left for the night. They all talked freely and enjoyably as if though they were all friends at a dinner party instead of as homeless strangers. It was, as much as it could be, a relaxing end to a harsh day.

As it got late Malcolm and Sharon decided to take to their beds, leaving the last three on their own. Riley and Ellie said goodnight and soon followed their example and settled onto their mattress together. Ethan however remained seated and observed them in an awkward silence.

The girls cautiously returned the observation towards the barely visible figure facing their direction. They tried to ignore him and close their eyes but the attempt was short lived when they heard a glass bottle fall against another at his feet. They opened their eyes again and watched as he slowly shuffled up to them and then squatted down at the edge of their mattress, far too close to be comfortable.

Ellie pressed herself against Riley's back as some form of cover whereas Riley herself eyed him closely.

"...hey, Ethan. Do you need something?"

"Just a question."

"I don't think-"

He cut her off with a slurred whisper. "I just want to know if you two are like… you know…"

Riley shrunk her observation into a glare as she felt a sudden knot form in her stomach. "No... I don't know."

He leaned in even closer prompting Riley to inch herself backwards. "Come on… don't make- don't make me say it."

"Ethan…"

"Together." He remained still a moment before leaning back again. "I saw you two… last night."

Ellie dug her face into the blanket with a groan hoping that either she could disappear or he would just leave. Riley hoped the same but figured ignoring him at this point wouldn't work, especially in his state.

"Does it matter?"

He stuck both hands out apologetically. "No, no of course not."

"Okay... Well, we'd like to get our sleep then if that's-"

"I mean, I only bring it up because of… you know, because of Malcolm."

Riley clenched her eyes closed and exhaled out her nerves at his continuation.

"I mean he's a good guy and all, but he's what, I'd guess, you would, what you would call old school. Beliefs and all that." His tone and words suddenly fell flat and monotonous. "But you know, I don't think he'd really… approve if he saw you two… like I did." His voice grew tonal again as if though it was switched back on. "But that's just him. I'm- I'm fine with it, of course."

The uncomfortable knot in Riley's stomach had grown into a blur of nerves the longer he spoke. "…Ethan."

"Yes?"

"We're really tired. And we really need to get some sleep."

"Oh okay." He nodded his head. "Sorry. Just- just wanted to let you know. Night." He finally stood himself back up and, just as unstable as before, shuffled his way back over to his makeshift room and vanished behind its wall.

Riley stared at the bottom of the overpass with her mouth slightly agape trying to make sense of what just happened. "That was incredibly uncomfortable."

Ellie had pulled her face back out from the blanket when she heard him retreat. "No kidding. Why the hell would he just talk about that?"

Riley let her head fall roll to the side and face Ellie. "The guy's drunk, clearly."

"I guess… What he said about Malcolm though, you think he's right?"

"No, because it's not Malcolm he's talking about."


	24. Roommates

24;

Three and a half weeks had passed with the girls running through the same routine day in and day out. They woke up on their dirty blanket covered mattress, spoke with Tess, split up to beg on the streets, and then would meet somewhere to eat. Most of the time it was at the soup kitchen to save money, other times at the local café to splurge. Afterwards they would head back to the overpass, combine and stash their money, and fall asleep. And though their lives were still no better off than they were since they left the orphanage, the two had grown much closer and their difficulties slowly became easier to deal with as a result. One of which, to a degree, was Ethan. After the night he confronted them there was an unmistakable air of discomfort between them. And though little occurred afterward, it hung over them like a heavy fog.

The rotating sleep schedule at the Safe Haven allowed them a warm bed and actual comfortable sheets one or two times a week, which they took advantage of without hesitation. For every day they were scheduled for a bed they would also inquire into their process through the system, and each time were let down by the lack of an update. Their latest visit however, nearly a month after first arriving in the city, was the exception.

"Girls. Good, you're here." Henry pulled a small pile of paper off one of his desks and dropped it onto the table the bulletin board hung next to. "Your paperwork came through yesterday. You're all set."

They stood wide-eyed as they were unsure how to process good news said in such a quick and stately manner. "So, wait. That's what we were waiting for? That's it?"

"That's it. I'll give you the address in a minute, but I should tell you that the place is a congregate shelter. It's essentially a small apartment you'll share with a few other people. Keeps the rent down a lot."

"Totally fine. How much is it?"

He flipped open the packet of paper and shuffled through it until he stopped at one and folded it back. "Says here about eighty-five a month. That's dirt cheap."

"Almost ninety a month doesn't sound like it."

"That's like three bucks a day, Riley. We're making a bit more than that."

"You're making money, that's good. Are you working?"

"Not yet. Still just begging."

"I see. Well that's common. I'll look into some more options for you girls in depth soon. Here, you should take this." He unpacked the papers and passed half of the pile to Ellie. "You'll need this, it's proof you're moving in. The address is on the top as well as which room you'll be staying in." Henry looked a bit apprehensive before speaking again. "So, just a heads up. This place isn't exactly luxury. So don't expect much."

"Yeah, well, can't be any worse than sleeping under a highway for a month straight."

"True, but it still won't be great. Also, I would recommend you both get some pepper spray or mace. Just in case."

"Shit, is it that bad?"

"Most likely not. But two underage girls living on their own? Better safe than sorry is all."

"Alright, we'll pick up some later."

"You'll also need to pay the rent to the housing department every month. They're located downtown somewhere, address is on the paper." He looked around then tapped on his half of the pile. "I think that's it. Any questions?"

"How long can we stay there?"

"It's yours until you move out. Or at least until you stop paying for it."

Ellie joined their back and forth. "How can we thank you?"

Henry simply smiled and his posture eased. "What I tell everyone. Just better your lives. Don't get kicked out to the street again, get some jobs, go back to school. The whole thing. Just... do what you can."

Ellie nodded and shook his hand, Riley doing the same.

"Remember to check back here weekly. Jobs don't come up much. And when they do, they go quick."

"Got it."

They left the small building they still referred to as 'the refuge' in high spirits. Once the door closed behind them they immediately burst into a laugh and a cheerful scream.

"Holy shit, finally!"

"This is fucking amazing, we're gonna have our own place."

"Come on, let's get go get our stuff."

They hurriedly followed the street that ran alongside the highway until they reached the old busted fence just outside the camp. It was still early in the morning and the only person there, as usual, was Tess. She was playing a card game on the ground on top of some cardboard with her coffee mug sitting next to her. She looked up as she heard the dirt crunch under the girls' feet as they walked in.

"Hey you two."

"Hey, Tess." They replied in unison.

Ellie walked directly up to Tess while Riley went to retrieve their stashed cash. "We just wanted to drop by and tell you something cool."

"Yeah? What's that?"

"Our application went through and we're getting our own place. Well, we're gonna be sharing it with others, but still."

Tess laid down the cards in her hand, stood up with a groan, and wrapped her arms around her. "That's great news. I'm happy for you guys." She dropped her arms and moved back. "Have you seen it yet?"

"Not yet. We needed to grab a couple of things before we left."

Riley joined in not soon after, their money in her pocket, and was suddenly embraced too.

"Again, I'm happy for you guys. Beats the hell out of living here." Her expression deflated and her eyes dropped slightly. "Just promise me something. Both of you." They both looked at her with eyebrows raised. "You're both beautiful and wonderful girls, and at your age you both could be my daughters, so I'm just looking out for you when I say this: your bodies are yours and only yours, respect them. Don't fuck 'em up with drugs or… what I do."

The sudden advice came as a shock, and though they knew it was meaningful, it was a heavy subject regardless. "We won't."

"I'm serious you two. It's really easy to get involved in that stuff in our situation. And if you do, chances are you'll get stuck."

"…understood."

Tess looked at the two carefully and slowly nodded her head. "Alright. Well it's been nice knowing you girls. I'll miss you dearly and our daily talks, but I hope I never see you again." She genuinely smiled. "At least not on the street anyway. And as always make sure to stick together. It's clear you two care about each other, so it's important you guys are each other's support system. Okay?"

The girls meekly smiled at each other before Ellie turned back towards the woman. "We will."

"I'll tell the others you've gone."

"Thanks, Tess. It's been really nice talking to you too. We'll come visit when we can."

They stashed their blankets and clothing into their backpacks where a few cans of food that Riley managed to sneak were already waiting. They hugged Tess again and walked out from under the shadowy underpass and back out into the bright cold morning.

As they walked down the street Ellie pulled out the papers from her backpack and found the address for their new place: 8314 W. Setter Rd. They asked around and eventually found someone who pointed out that it was a couple mile's walk through downtown and onhe other side.

They set off and arrived a little less than an hour later and analyzed the building as they stood just outside its entrance. White letters were screwed into the hard brick just above it. 'Setter Road Apartments.'

"Real original."Looks like the place though."

The building itself was rather generic, but had its own old charm. It was built almost entirely from a dark red brick, its seven floor façade broken up at regular intervals by air-conditioner-clad windows. Each long side of the building had about eleven windows per floor, and the short sides about four. All four sides, however, did share a commonality, a rusted teal fire escape attached to the brick which ran to the ground in a repeating Z-shaped pattern. The top five feet or so of the building was painted in a slightly darker teal color.

A brick structure jutted out from over the doorway they were standing next to and onto the sidewalk, apparently taking the place of an awning. It was adorned with two short gray cracked statues they couldn't identify.

Riley walked first through the doorway which led immediately into a barely discernable lobby and a dim staircase shortly beyond it. There was a window to their left that exposed a small room beyond it. The window itself had a small rectangular hole cut out near the middle to speak through.

Behind the window was an older lady but perhaps only appeared that way due to her generous physique. She entirely filled out the chair she was sitting on, which looked like it could give way at any moment, and was watching a TV that was situated in the back left corner of the little isolated room. The interrogation-like light above her made apparent the sheer amount of smoke that was floating in the room, an amount unbreathable for most.

Riley hesitantly knocked on the glass which caused the woman to spin in her chair towards the noise and reveal her front side. Ellie guessed she must've been easily at least three hundred pounds, nearing four. She pushed herself off the chair with a loud grunt and waddled over to the window not unlike a penguin would. She put her face to the glass and spoke with a low raspy voice, likely deteriorated from a lifetime of smoking.

"Yeah?"

"Uh… hi. We're moving in today. We got assigned through th-"

"Room number?" The cigarette in the corner of her mouth bobbed up and down as she spoke, its smoke reflected backward by the glass.

Riley was quickly annoyed but held off until they got what they needed. "301."

The woman reached just out of their sight to the side of the glass and pulled a key from a series of hooks before sliding it through the hole in the glass.

"That it?"

"Yeah."

"You don't need the paperwork?"

She sighed and motioned for it. Ellie unfolded the papers and pressed the front page up against the glass.

"Great."

She waddled her way back to the TV and fell onto the chair which barely managed to keep its shape from the sudden impact.

They glanced at each other in confusion and headed to the staircase to their right. They spoke quiet criticisms and insults about the building and the lady to each other as they climbed to the third floor. The stairs were old and wooden and creaked under every footstep. Wall sconces mounted once per floor lit their way in the otherwise sun-impenetrable staircase. The walls inside were made of the same brick as the outside, though some graffiti marred their otherwise natural appeal.

They reached the third floor and read a sign situated in front of the landing: '300-315', with an arrow to the left, and '316-331', with an arrow to the right.' They followed the hallway down to the left and stopped in front of the door with their assigned number alongside. Both girls looked left and right at their new neighbors.

"I don't feel good about this place."

"Me neither."

Ellie sighed and watched as Riley slipped the key into the keyhole and pushed the door inwards. It opened just a few inches before getting snagged on a metal chain that was draped across the gap.

Riley tried to angle her head to get a glimpse inside. "Anyone in there?"

A few moments later a man's face appeared in the gap and eyed her up and down. "Who are you?" He spoke with a deep scratch in his voice, somewhat southern in dialect.

"Your new roommates, I guess."

"Huh..." He grunted and closed the door quickly.

Riley's eyes shrunk into a glare, but before she could pound on the door she heard the chain being undone from the other side before opening completely. The man who opened it was already walking back to a chair near a window on the far side of the room.

Their first impression of their new home was a mixed amount of hopeful and depressing. Immediately to their right was the kitchen, a seven by four foot area with a white refrigerator, an old white stovetop and minimal counter space with some drawers below them. The walls were made of the same brick as the outside, but, for whatever reason, were painted a mustard yellow that had faded out over the years. The apartment's floor was pure hardwood, but was so pale and scuffed over it was hard to tell the change from one plank to the next. There was a small table to their left, directly opposite the kitchen, that was large enough to only seat two people at once.

Beyond the table on the left side were three doors crammed against each other at slightly different angles. Two of them lead to bedrooms and the third to a bathroom. Behind the kitchen on the right was a fourth door, the last bedroom.

The area directly ahead of the entrance was what could be considered the living room. There was a large window that stretched the height of the wall with an arch at the top that dominated the room and showed off a view of the street and another building directly across. Though attractive, it was also poorly fitted into its frame and allowed the air to freely enter and leave through the gaps along the edges.

A television was perched atop a small bookcase a few feet away from an old couch and chair, the latter of which was occupied by the man that opened the door.

"And lock it behind ya."

They stepped inside and followed his command. They moved about halfway through the apartment in only a few steps and stopped dead center of the room.

"So... I'm Riley and this is Ellie."

"Alright." He kept his eyes glued to the screen in front of him.

She immediately grew disinterested. "Which room is ours?"

"Whichever one that ain't bein' used."

"That's helpful."

"Yeah."

Riley groaned as she checked the left doors and Ellie the right one. Riley opened up the door facing the entrance and found it messy but void of any clothes or possessions.

"Over here."

Ellie quickly walked over and followed Riley through the door and closed it behind them.

Their new room held a single medium-sized bed in the middle, a sliding mirror closet on the left side, and just a few cabinets and drawers on the wall nearest the door. On the right side of the room was an unexpectedly large window that opened up the space to light and a view of the street.

Ellie rested her back against the door and looked around with a sorrowful expression. "Well this place is depressing."

Riley exhaled deeply and looked around their new room as well. "Yeah, it really is… but think about it this way. We've lived in an orphanage for nearly our entire lives filled with other kids. Now we have our own room together." She grabbed Ellie's hands and swung them outward. "Just you and me and all the privacy we want." She leaned forward and pressed her lips against the freckled girl's for a moment before pulling away and resting their foreheads together. "Despite how depressing… and gross…and small..."

Ellie couldn't help but grin as she shoved her back. "Yeah, you really sound like a pessimist."

"You're here." Riley smirked as she threw her bag onto one of the shorter cabinets immediately followed by Ellie doing the same.

They replaced the sheets on the bed with their own blankets and pulled out their few changes of clothes and laid them in the drawers, planning to clean them whenever they could.

As they finally settled in and took a moment to rest, the door to their room creaked open and a curious face moved through it which was soon followed by a second. The first was of an middle-aged black woman with dark pulled-back hair. The second was of a boy maybe a few years younger than themselves, also with dark, but short, hair.

"Thought we heard someone come in. I assume you're the new tenants?"

"Just moving in. Yeah."

"Wow, you're both really young." She put her hands on the boy's shoulders who was standing in front of her, somewhat shorter than the woman herself. "Doesn't matter. Anyway, this is my son, Aiden, and I'm Marlene. Welcome to the building. It's not much, but it has a roof."

He glanced the two over before flashing a toothy grin. "Hey."

"We've been here for a couple of years now. So if you have any questions I'm the person to ask."

Ellie glanced over at chest of drawers. "What's the laundry situation like here?"

"There are a few machines down in the basement, only washing ones, no drying. You'll also need to buy your own detergent and softener. There's a vending machine down there for those too."

"And what about the man in the other room? What's his deal?"

Marlene chuckled at the girl's bluntness. "His deal, as you call it, is that he's just a bit jaded. He's been here longer than me and I still don't know much about him." She shrugged her shoulders. "You'll get used to him."

"What's his name?"

"Joel. He's not very social, but he'll help you out with pretty much anything if you ask."

"Good to know."

"Well, just wanted to say hi. We'll let you get back to unpacking your stuff. "

"Thanks."

The woman smiled and shook their hands, along with the boy, before heading back out of the same door.

Riley walked over and rested her back against the door after shutting it for a second time. Ellie yawned as she grabbed Riley's hand and pulled her onto the bed with her. They stretched out as much as they could on the cramped bed and stared at the ceiling.

"It's an actual bed, Riley. Not a mattress on the ground under a highway. An actual bed."

"It's been a while."

Ellie rolled onto her side, threw an arm around Riley, and pulled her in tightly. They cuddled together on top of their worn blankets and listened to the low hum of the TV through the torn up wall until they fell asleep.


	25. Chapter 25

25;

It was in the middle of night and their room was completely pitch black with the exception of the small strips of light that beamed in through the slits of the blinds on the window. They projected a striped pattern of light and dark throughout the space like that of a jail cell's bars. The girls were tightly huddled together under the blanket, hoping that somehow they could sink into the mattress itself. The sounds of yelling from a room nearby had woken them and its intensity prevented them from falling back to sleep.

The raised voices were blurred and muffled by the thin walls, a job they've done sufficiently enough for the past month, but the fervor of the argument proved to be too much this night. The girls could only make out a few words here and there but it was clear money and drugs were involved and that neither party was happy.

The volume quieted and intensified like a wave up until their words stopped and the fighting began. They could hear grunting and quick shouts while objects in the apartment were being knocked down, one being the unmistakable sound of glass shattering. After a particularly hard hit against a wall the room immediately fell silent again.

The girls' hearts were pulsing rapidly from envisioning all the possible outcomes that could have happened. Their imaginations were abruptly cut off when a gunshot rang throughout the building. Ellie let out a quick scream and threw her hand over her mouth simultaneously.

Prompted by the complete silence and cease in action Riley quietly slid out of bed and snuck towards the bedroom door.

"What are you doing?" Ellie spoke with a frustrated mixture of whispering and yelling.

Riley simply gave her a signal to keep quiet, cracked open the door, and slipped out into the main room. She inched closer toward the door but stopped when she spotted the older man sitting upright in a chair already facing it. It was dark, but she could see the distinct outline of a gun being aimed towards it. Something long like a rifle or shotgun.

Joel noticed movement off to the side of his vision and turned his head to leer at her. He ticked his head to the side, instructing her to get back inside her room. She took a second to absorb the situation then nodded and backed up, quietly closing the door after she was fully inside. She snuck back into bed and covered herself in the blankets.

Ellie shoved her and whispered angrily. "Why the hell did you go out there?"

"I wanted to see if-."

"Don't do that again."

"Alright, I'm sorry."

"I just…" Ellie took a moment to breathe. "I just don't want you to-"

"I know."

Only five or so minutes later the black and white striped pattern of lights in their room gave way to, familiar to Riley, an oscillating red and blue one. Sirens were rushing in from both directions of the street and stopped in front of their building, all of which produced little black outlines that dashed in through the main entrance. They listened as a perhaps a dozen sets of footsteps carefully made their way through the hallways, stopping and going as they checked each room.

A knock on their apartment door prompted Joel to stash his gun out of sight and then open it. He instructed them onwards farther down the hall where the shot came from. They gave a quick look inside and followed his lead. A minute later the sound of a door's deadbolt being kicked through its frame came from just a few doors down, followed by a dozen yelling voices.

A few minutes later the footsteps retreated back out of the hallway and down the stairs, one noticeably more staggered compared to the others. Then silence again. Joel peaked through their door, announced it was over, and then closed it. Neither of the girls spoke about it that night, Ellie instead choosing to wrap herself around Riley and mutely stare out the window for the next hour until her adrenaline crash forced her asleep.

The next morning was relieving. The building was quiet again and the apartment itself was back to normal. They joined their other roommates already out in the living room, Marlene and Aiden at the only two spots at the table eating breakfast, and Joel back on his chair in front of the TV. They grabbed some cereal and milk and stood at one of the counters to eat.

Marlene initiated almost every conversation in the apartment as she was the only talkative between the five of them. "Good morning, girls. Did you hear all that last night?"

"Couldn't not hear it."

"Terrifying. I hate living in a place where I have to worry about me and my son's life. It's rare something like this happens, but that it even can is bad enough."

"At least they arrested the guy."

"Who killed the other. Not sorry saying this, but the world is better off without those two morons free to roam the streets."

The man on the chair didn't talk much, but when he did it was usually an opinion. "Should've just killed the other bastard too. Now I gotta pay for his damn stay in prison, ridiculous."

Marlene shot Aiden a glare after he started chuckling. "I don't agree, but thanks for watching the door."

Ellie finished her bowl and looked over at Marlene and spoke rather timidly. "Hey, so, we've been in the city for a couple of months now and I don't think we've ever done anything fun."

"Want to distract yourself from last night?" Ellie nodded. "Well, movie theaters or the mall are the obvious choices. There's a park nearby. Some bowling and restaurants are within walking distance. I think there's a small museum somewhere on Lemon."

Ellie nodded, dropped her bowl in the sink, and wasted no time to change out her clothes in the bedroom and wait for Riley to do the same. They said their goodbyes and walked out of the apartment and into the dim hallway which was now scattered with new scuff marks along the length of the floor from the staircase to the apartment three doors down. The staircase sported a few new holes from the events of last night, though they blended in with the others already there and were difficult to notice. They passed by the smoke filled den on the bottom floor and waited for people to stop walking by outside before pushing the door open and letting in the frigid air.

It wasn't much above freezing during the days, dropping below that threshold at night. They dressed as warmly as they could with heavy jackets and scarfs, but the wind would often pierce their clothing and reach their skin regardless of how many layers they wore. They both immediately crossed their arms as they exited the building.

Riley jabbed Ellie with an elbow to speed along the decision process. "I assume we're going somewhere 'fun'."

"Yeah…" She looked up and down the street, pointlessly trying to catch a glimpse of something they could do. She perked up quickly with an idea. "What about a movie?"

"Whatever you want, Ellie."

"A movie it is then. There's gotta be a theater in the mall."

"Lead on."

She grabbed Riley's hand and began walking briskly through the downtown sidewalks. They made it about a mile across town, pushing against the wind most of the way, until a short but long building nestled between two others came into view.

The mall had a generic frontage, like most buildings in the city, with a large 'Goodsprings Mall' painted on the front of it. They cut their way across the parking lot weaving through an abnormally large amount of cars.

A wave of warm comfortable air flowed over them the moment they pushed open the glass front doors. They pulled off their scarves, unzipped their jackets, and looked around at the bustling mall. What lay before them was a frenzy of people shuffling back and forth, bags in hand, the noise level reaching that of a loud ocean wave and just as coherent.

Riley spotted a large decorated pine tree in the center of large intersection between several wings of the mall. "Totally forgot that's coming up."

"Really? Marlene talks about it all the time."

"Guess I just kind of zone her out when she does."

"Nice."

"Guess that explains the crazy amount of people here too."

Ellie stared expectantly at her. "So…"

"…what?"

"What are you getting me for Christmas?"

Riley's eyes widened. "Oh, I uh..."

Ellie scrunched her brows. "You better not forget."

"Relax. I won't."

"And you need to do it soon too if you're gonna get me something good." A grin spread across her face. "I already got you something, but you'll have to wait."

"Well now I want to know."

"Nope. Oh and don't get me anything expensive."

"Pretty sure I'm supposed to be picking out your gift, not you."

"Fine… but you don't have long."

"Yeah, yeah, you've made yourself clear."

Ellie pointed to a sign near the tree itself. "Theaters are to the right, come on."

They hesitantly used a small chunk of their begging money for tickets and spent the next couple of hours sitting through an average big budget action film. How is was didn't matter as they were finally enjoying themselves for the first time in months, potentially years. It also provided a desperately needed distraction from their daily lives.

Ellie stretched her back after the movie finished and let out a loud groan. "What'd you think?"

"It was okay. The plot was lame, but the action was good. You?"

"Well, I thought it was pretty kickass. Yeah the story was stupid, but who goes and sees an action flick for the plot?"

Riley laughed. "That's true. Glad we did it anyway though. Wanna walk around the mall for a bit?"

"Of course."

The mall had three different wings, two that split left and right at the entrance and looped around the meet at the back, the third ran straight down the center from the back to the front. It was only one level, but the ceilings were high and the windows that coated the upper edge let in an abundant amount of light. The sun however was blocked by a blanket of butts that had lasted the entire day, causing the city and mall to be enveloped in a bland gray color. The green and red decorations along the interior helped colorize the atmosphere.

They walked through the first wing with Riley stopping to check nearly every clothing and accessory store possible, which Ellie had little interest in.

"Would you rather…"

"What?"

"It's a game. Would you rather… be deaf or mute?"

"Oh god. Uh, I guess I'd rather be mute."

"Yeah?"

"I'd hate to never hear music again. That and I could always just write what I want to say. Or I guess learn sign language."

"But then you could never socialize easily."

"I'd deal with it." Riley stopped at another store and peered through the window at some jewelry. They walked inside and browsed a bit before finding nothing of interest. "You know we should probably get some better coats, it's going to be freezing soon."

"We should. I'll keep an eye out for any good ones." Ellie nudged her with a shoulder. "Your turn."

"Fine. Would you rather… um, I don't know... be able to run a hundred miles an hour, or fly at ten?"

"Easy. Fly at ten. Running that fast would be cool, but being able to just fly around like superman or something? Awesome."

"But you'd be so slow! Like a damn turtle through the air."

Ellie cracked up next to a group of people which garnered her some looks. "That's hilarious. With a little red 'S' on him and everything. Maybe a little cape too."

They finished walking the other two wings of the mall while checking out every store and asking each other questions in between. They bought two heavy coats at one of the thrift store outlets for cheap. They ended up back at the tree near the entryway where the mall Santa was sitting in his red throne surrounded by his elf entourage.

Riley eyed the food court just off to the side. "We should get some food before we head back."

Ellie raised an eyebrow. "Splurging are we?"

"Just a bit. I haven't had mall food in such a long time though. It's so good."

"Alright, but you better pick the most amazing food you can." Ellie scanned the food joints lining the far wall of the building. "Chinese! I'm getting Chinese."

Riley started getting fidgety from her options. "That does sound good, but so do the others. I'm sick of soup and pasta… Uh, there, cheesesteak place."

"Cool, go grab it and meet me at one of the tables."

They split up and retrieved their own food and joined again at an open table near the tree that provided an open view of the sea of people. Riley wasted no time digging into her sandwich which left Ellie staring on in amazement.

"Wow."

"…what?"

"Oh nothing. It's just I never knew you ate like a pig."

Riley shot back without a pause. "At least I don't snort like one when I'm sleeping."

Ellie's mouth fell open in a crooked smile. "Fuck you!" Riley full-on laughed but then choked almost immediately on her food. "Good. Serves you right."

Riley recovered from her coughing fit by drinking down half of her soda. "Fuck you too, asshole."

"Girls, please!" A woman from the table over quietly yelled at them. "My kids here don't need to hear that kind of filth."

Riley just laughed again, holding it back the best she could with her hand.

Ellie managed better by grinning through the woman's request. "Sorry."

Ellie waited until the woman turned back before punching Riley in the arm while she was still laughing. "Stop it!" Riley laughed even harder before eventually complying.

They both soon after finished off their food and stretched against their chairs from the satisfying feeling of being full.

"Hate to say it, but we should probably head back."

Ellie agreed and they weaved their way through the crowd of people that were funneling into the mall and headed toward the exit, stopping just before. They zipped up their new coats, layered on top of their old ones as they had no way of stashing them, and pushed their way outside into the windy afternoon.

They walked no more than a few feet outside the entrance before Ellie wrapped her arms around Riley. She dropped back and held onto her hand as they started their walk back to the apartments.

"Thanks for coming with… and you're the asshole by the way."

"Happy to- wait, what? How am I the asshole?"

"Because you straight up laughed in that woman's face when she told you to shut up."

"Oh come on, she was just uptight. It was funny."

They navigated their way out of the maze of cars and made their way back through the snaking streets of downtown and across the city. The wind was pushing hard against them again, seemingly reversing direction from that morning, making the trek colder and longer. They turned west on the street with the sign marked 'Setter Rd' and followed it until they reached the dark red brick building again.

They ignored the lady in her den on the way in and traversed the stairs to the third floor and down the dank hallway. They knocked on the door of room 301 and waited, knowing that the door chain would make using the key pointless.

After a moment a slit in the door appeared with Aiden's eye peering through it. It closed again and swung open completely.

The girls crashed on their bed and stared at the ceiling and let the prickly feeling of exertion flow through their legs after the long walk across the city. They weren't sure if they should enjoy the moment after a mostly worry free day or concern themselves about replenishing what they had spent enjoying their trip. Their choice was made when they both passed out to the sounds of road noise echoing through their room.


	26. Chapter 26

26;

"Happy birthday, Ellie!"

Ellie sat alone at the table with a small cake in front of her that was adorned with fifteen lit candles. The rest of the apartment, even Joel, stood around her in the dim light, the shadows bouncing across their faces as the flames flickered and danced.

It wasn't much, but they all chipped in and got her a gift that was now sitting on the chair next to her. They sang the traditional happy birthday song, except Joel, and watched her as she paused to think then blow out the candles. They lightly clapped when the smoke began to rise while Marlene reached over and placed the box in front of her.

"This one is from all of us."

The Christmas season had come and gone, but the winter weather had dug itself in and refused to budge. The sun was setting, just barely above the horizon, and ushered in with it a cold and peaceful darkness. The streets and sidewalks were dusted white with snow that had been sporadically falling for the last several weeks.

Though heavier in the weeks past, snow flurries were lightly falling in a zigzag pattern past the apartment's window while the people in it were watching as Ellie began unwrapping her gift.

She threw aside the torn paper and flipped up the box's flaps to reveal a white stereo with built-in radio and CD player. She pulled it out of its box and quickly skimmed over its features and looked back at the people surrounding her.

"Guys, you shouldn't have got me this. It's too much."

"Please. Between all of us it wasn't bad. Besides, every teenage girl needs a stereo." She scanned the other faces quickly in a non-serious manner. "That's what kids do nowadays right? Listen to music?"

Ellie chuckled with the others as she put it back down. "It is. And thanks."

Riley leaned in from the side and placed a small box in front of her. "From me." She waited until Ellie took off the paper and had just barely opened it. "I know it's probably really corny and dorky, but I wanted to get you something special, so… I got you that. What do you think?"

Marlene slightly leaned forward and tried to get an eye on what Ellie pulled from the box. "What is it?"

"It's a necklace." Ellie let it fall from her hand while holding onto its chain.

"It's beautiful."

Riley cut back in. "It's one of those broken heart necklaces. Kind of a symbolic thing I guess. It's got your name on one half and mine on the other, and we would just wear each other's." She had on a nervous half smile and was fiddling with her fingers. "So?"

Ellie put both halves of the necklace back in the box without a word and wrapped her arms around Riley to pull her in for a kiss that seemed to linger too long for Marlene's comfort given by her obvious throat clearing.

"Sorry." She turned back to the girl standing next to her. "I love it."

Joel had obviously passed his patience limit. "Can we have the damn cake already? It's been sitting on the table long enough."

"Hold on, hold on." Marlene walked back into the tiny kitchen behind them and returned with a knife within just a few steps. She split the cake up into pieces and passed one out to everyone around her. "So, what are you girls doing tonight?"

"I'm taking Ellie out to this restaurant downtown. I pass it all the time and it smells amazing."

"That's a good idea. What's the restaurant?"

"Some Italian place, Il Tavolo."

"You'll have to let me know how it is. I love Italian food. Anyway, finish up your plates and then you can go."

Marlene naturally took on a mother role to the girls who weren't much older than her own son. They were unaccustomed with the idea but found it amusing.

They finished their slices, Ellie thanked everyone again, and then brought her gifts back to her room with Riley following close behind. She set the stereo on top of the cabinet of drawers that held their clothes and plugged it in to an outlet which caused it to suddenly light up with a flashing 12:00.

She opened the smaller box that she was still holding and pulled out both of the necklaces. She passed the one with her name on it to Riley, keeping the one with Riley's on it for herself.

"Come here, I want to put 'em together." The shape of the jagged edges on each half of the necklace allowed them to fit snuggly into the other. "I love them!"

She pulled Riley in for another kiss, though far more intimate now that they were out of sight of the others.

Riley gasped when Ellie finally pulled away. "Wow... you must really like your gift."

Ellie softened her voice and spoke as coyly as she could. "Just wait 'til tonight. You'll really see then." She watched enjoyably as the other girl's breath hastened and grew noticeably anxious before bursting out in a laugh. "You are so fucking easy."

"Oh come on. You can't do that to me, Ellie."

"But it's so funny."

"You're an ass." Riley just sighed as Ellie's chuckling died down.

"I know." She smiled as she kissed her again and then headed for the closet.

"Well did you know you're really hard to buy for? Took forever to decide on those."

"Yeah I know that too, sorry. I don't exactly have an expressed interest in much."

"I'm just glad you like them. Though we should probably get going if we don't want to have to wait for a table… at the table. Get it?"

"No..."

"'Cause Il Tavolo is… Italian… for you know what? Never mind."

Ellie rolled her eyes and walked back from the closet with their heavy coats and a couple of scarves.

"Alright, let's go."

They walked out of the apartment, the door locking immediately behind them, and reached the stairs. As they descended the air grew colder and started to slowly pierce their coats. When they finally reached the street outside the sun had completely set, leaving only a dim orange glow just over the mountain tops. The snow was coming down densely now, peacefully, with no wind to disturb its journey. They wrapped their arms tightly and pushed against each other as they walked down the sidewalk hoping to retain what heat they could.

"It's beautiful out, but fuck if it isn't cold." Riley spat out puffs of billowing fog as she spoke.

"Yeah, no kidding. This place better not be far."

"A little bit. It's near one of my spots kind of farther out. You'll make it, just think of the nice hot food that'll be waiting for us."

"That's worse. Now I'm very aware of how cold I am."

"Well then that's your fault. It helps me to think about the all pasta and bread I'm gonna be shoving in my face soon."

Ellie smirked. "That's because-"

"Don't say it."

"You're a pig."

"You really want to start this with me again? Because it sounds like you do Ms. Can't-hold-her-lunch-down."

"Oh my god, that was one time. One time!"

Riley's laughed with a cackle. "I so wish you could've seen that guys face! He was all, 'Not my shoes!' and 'No Bailey, get away from that!' It was fucking hilarious."

"It was his own damn fault his dog wasn't on a leash. Makes me sick all over again just thinking about it."

"Well don't ruin your appetite before we even get to the restaurant."

"You're the one who brought it up!"

"'Cause you called me a pig!"

Ellie exhaled slowly through her nose. "Alright, okay. Fine." She looked around unaware where Riley was leading her. "Sure this is the right way?"

"Yeah, I go this way all the time. It's a little off the main street but it's faster."

Ellie tilted her head back and got lost in a trance as the snow flurries fell like feathers from my butts and danced around her. Her scarf kept her neck and chin warm but the cold air stung against her ears and nose, turning them a rosy hue. She was being guided by Riley past an alley when she heard something from the shadows to their left.

"Don't fucking move." The girls stopped dead in their tracks as a chill shot up their spines. "Pull out whatever is in your pockets and drop them on the ground." The man's voice was slightly slurred and his words didn't quite flow together. "Now."

Ellie's breathing was staggered as she partially swiveled in place to see where the voice was coming from.

"Don't fucking turn around!" She stopped immediately and turned back forward. "Back up slowly into the alley. I don't want you being seen."

"Alright… okay. We're backing up."

They did as he said and walked backwards past the edge of the building, cutting off any view of them from the street. The man led them until they were facing the walled off inside of the alley as he himself stood standing at the only exit.

Riley's voice was broken from both shivering and her nerves. "Are you really mugging two girls?"

The voice chuckled then coughed. "I'm not picky. Now drop whatever you have in your pockets on the ground and I'll let you go. Simple as that. Just don't turn around again."

Ellie was scared, but stubborn, her voice reflecting the former. "We don't have anything on us. We barely make anything from begging on the streets."

The man sighed from annoyance with the delay. "Stop wasting my time and empty your damn pockets already or I'll slit your throats!"

Ellie squinted her eyes from the sudden partial recognition of the voice. She let her mind connect the recognition to somewhere in her memory before uttering out a word. "Ethan?"

The man didn't say anything for a moment, rather instead stuttering out some unintelligible noises. "How do you…"

The girls took a chance by ignoring his previous warning and turned around to face the man they had once shared a residence with. He was much fouler since the last time they saw him. He wore a heavy coat and pants, his face was smudged over with dirt, and his hair came down across his face in greasy strands. He was unsteadily pointing a large hunting knife with a black handle at them.

Ethan studied the girls' faces for a few seconds before his alcohol ridden mind finally recognized them. He shook his head and snorted in disbelief.

"Lucky me. It's the lesbians again." Riley took a step forward, her face immediately contorting into a scowl. He waved his knife at her to make his superiority clear. "Don't be stupid, Riley. Just stand there like a good girl, okay?"

"Fuck you, Ethan." She took a step back. "I knew you had a problem with us. I guess you had a problem in your own damn head too 'cause look at this shit you're doing."

"Insulting the one with the knife, real smart Riley. And no, I don't have a problem with you. I have a problem with what you do."

"Same fucking thing."

Ellie laid her hand on Riley's shoulder, a gesture to lay off. Her pulse was still racing but had slightly lessened with the knowledge that the mugger was no longer a stranger. She forced words out through her nerves in hopes of distracting him.

"What happened, Ethan?"

He glared at her with incredulity while trying to determine her sincerity. He soon gave up the impossible task and his expression gave way to something softer, yet more distressed. "What happened? That's a loaded question." He scoffed and his eyes started shifting around. "Alright, fine. You want to know? It's all 'cause of my fucking boss… the idiot wouldn't even know the difference between-"

Neither girl dared to interrupt him as he began ranting, choosing instead to use the time to scout the area around them for something they could use or, at the least, allow for some extra time for the off-chance that someone would see them. They were only able to look for a few seconds before jerking their heads back forward to regain eye contact with Ethan after he made a sudden move while expressively explaining his recent past.

"It seemed like it at the time, but it wasn't worth it. God damn it! If he had just-" He took a couple of heavy breaths before continuing his drunken rant. "But he didn't. So instead, they threw me in jail for a month and slapped a third strike on my record."

He started darting his eyes around again and continued on. The girls again took the opportunity to scan the area but neither spotted anything useful. It was a back alley with little in it, mostly some trash cans and a dumpster on the right side which blocked their view of what lay behind.

They quickly looked forward again to meet Ethan's suddenly narrowed focus at them. Hopelessness seemed to have joined in with the rest of his emotions as his eyes now had a slight sheen to them and his voice began to waver. His change in expression hadn't lessened their fear of him though as he was still firmly holding the knife in their direction.

"…it's pointless now. What little I got from the city is now gone. What am I going to do? What? No one's going to hire a homeless man with a record."

Ellie tried to speak to his now less frantic character, hoping he could better understand reason. "I'm sorry about everything you've gone through, Ethan. Really. But you still have your place with Tess, Malcolm, and the others. They'll always be there for you. And you can beg for money and save up. That's what we're doing."

"No. I can't. Like I said, there's no point."

Silence overtook them as Ethan appeared to get lost in thought. The night snow was still falling and dancing around them in a beautiful display, an unnerving contrast to their situation. Puffs of white smoke continually escaped the lips of the three standing in the alley.

Ethan's eyes slowly widened as though an idea had taken hold. "I know what to do… I need to get thrown back in. It was warm. And there was free food. I just need to give them a reason to do so…" He dropped his head and stared at the snow. "Sorry girls, can't say I'll miss you."

A moment later he heard the snow crunching in front of him as he spouted out his last decisive words. The noise approached quickly and by the time he had raised his head to react, Riley was already next to him. She grabbed the wrist of the hand his knife was in and pushed it to the side as she threw her entire weight behind her elbow and into his chest. His grip around the knife loosened and caused it to slip through his hand and fall to the ground.

He groaned loudly as he lost his footing and stumbled to a knee. "You bitch!"

He was able to regain some energy into his now free hand and connect a hard fist into Riley's stomach. She yelled and was sent reeling backwards and forced to her knees. She braced herself with a hand on the ground while she coughed and wheezed for air.

He reached down and frantically searched for the knife. He spotted a black blur among the snow, reached in its direction, and grabbed a hold of it. Just as he finally wrapped his fingers around its handle the top of a boot rammed itself into his nose, instantly breaking it and sending blood streaming down his face.

His head whipped backwards from the contact and knocked him back onto the ground. He gained sight of the girl who was positioned for a second strike and managed to lean back and slash in her direction as her fist was coming near. The blade connected and opened a gash in the side of her arm.

Ellie screamed out and recoiled backwards towards Riley while grabbing at her wound. He clumsily picked himself up again and began staggering slowly towards them with the knife that now had Ellie's blood on its edge.

Ethan released a large exhale as he neared. "Just let me do this. Give up."

Riley flashed her eyes downwards and quickly reached for something behind the dumpster they had been forced backward to. The sudden movement caused Ethan to panic and to react as fast as he could towards her. As he got close Riley's hand reemerged with a glass bottle which she quickly smashed on the side of his head. The bottle shattered into a pool of a million shards and blackened the vision of his left eye. Ethan yelled out and clutched at his face with his free hand while he began wildly swinging the knife in their direction with the other.

Riley took the opportunity and screamed at the other girl. "Ellie, run!"

Ellie sprinted toward his left side while Riley went right. Her plan was short lived however when she saw him arcing his knife toward her just as she was beginning to pass. The knife hit its target and forced itself deep into the back of her thigh.

Riley screamed and hit the ground shoulder first, sliding several feet and leaving a swathe of red in the snow behind her. Ellie's heart skipped when she heard her and immediately began to frantically look around.

Ethan turned to his left to face the girl now on the ground. He was holding the left half of his face and panting heavily.

"You should've… just given me… the money." He flashed her a crooked frown. "It would've been… a lot easier."

"You don't have to do this!"

Riley held out her hands to defend herself from the impending attack when his head suddenly jerked to the left following a violent clang sound. His body went limp and fell sideways onto the snow.

She lowered her hands to see Ellie standing in front of her with a rusted metal pipe in her hands.

The girl stood there frozen with her eyes wide open staring straight at the unmoving man on the ground. A large pool of blood near his head was growing steadily in size with each passing second.

Riley carefully pushed herself off the ground and put her hands on Ellie's shoulders. "Ellie, come on! We've gotta go!"

To Ellie her words sounded muffled, almost incomprehensible, and as if they were miles away.

"Ellie? Say something!"

Ellie slowly scanned Riley's face before managing to find her brown eyes. As she stared into them the voice she was hearing became understandable and her daze faded. She looked around at where she was and weakly nodded at Riley's command to leave. She let the pipe slip out of her hands and allowed herself to be guided out of the alley and back onto the side street. But before they could make it to the main road Ellie completely lost her strength and dropped to her knees.

"I killed him…" A smile slowly formed as she stared at Riley. "I killed him, he's dead. He's dead, Riley!" Her smile escalated into a laugh and then all at once collapsed to sobbing. "I killed him... I killed him…"

Riley dropped to her knees and pulled Ellie into the tightest hug she could. Ellie continued crying out the same words repeatedly, each consecutive one getting quieter than the last.

"You're right, you did." Riley rested her forehead against Ellie's. "But you saved our lives, Ellie. He would've killed us if you hadn't." She moved her head away and looked farther down the frosted alley and then back at her. "You're gonna be okay. Come on."


	27. Chapter 27

27;

Both girls were sitting on a curb some distance away from the alley with blankets wrapped around them. Ellie was curled inwards breathing heavily with her arms wrapped around her stomach. They watched as a plastic sheet, clearly covering a body, was carried out on a stretcher and put into the back of an ambulance by two paramedics.

"I think I'm gonna be sick."

Riley let the right side of her blanket slip off as she put an arm around Ellie and rubbed her shoulder. "Throw up if you need to."

The older man whose phone they had used to call the police was nearby leaning against the wall, using his cane to stabilize himself. He decided to wait around for the cops following the unusual recent encounter with the two young girls.

He wore a long trench coat and was rubbing his arm trying to stay warm in the below freezing night air. The snow was slowly dancing all around them, clinging to their hair and coats as it finished its mile journey from the sky.

Not long after the initial call was placed did the police arrive and question the man. "Sir, if you'd please, tell me exactly what happened in the moments leading up to when those two girls approached you."

"Well, I was just on my nightly walk when I saw those two out of the corner of my eye hurrying around the side of the building. The one with the brownish hair was supporting the dark-skinned one who seemed to be limping pretty badly. She was also leaving a spotted trail of red behind her." The man traced the path of blood in the air with his finger. "They asked me if I had a phone, I said yes, and I gave it to them. I heard her talking to the police, so I stayed."

"Did you notice anything else? Anything suspicious?"

He shook his head. "I don't think so. Like what?"

"Somebody running down the street as you arrived, perhaps. Odd noises, anything that seemed off?"

"No, can't say I did. Just those two."

The officer flipped back the page he was writing on to reveal a fresh one. He nodded his head and moved on.

"Thank you."

He started to walk back towards the girls just as the ambulance doors were being slammed shut. He stopped and listened to the snow crunching under its tires as it pulled out from the alley and disappeared around the corner.

He clicked his pen and knelt down in front of the girls in order to maintain eye level and appear nonthreatening. "Hi, I'm Captain Parker. I just want to ask you about what happened tonight and get your side of the story."

Riley looked with concern at Ellie and then back to the officer. "Ellie's not feeling great. I'll tell you." The man focused on her and nodded his head. "We were on our way to a restaurant downtown for dinner. We were walking through the side streets to save some time when Ethan tried to mug us."

"Ethan? So you knew the assailant?"

"Yeah. We used to shack up with him and his group under the overpass when we were homeless." The officer was scribbling as she talked. "Anyway, I think because he recognized us he decided to try and kill us instead of just mug us."

"Why would that make a difference?"

Riley shrugged. "He was drunk and he lost his job, maybe he just snapped seeing us. I don't know." Parker acknowledged her reasoning and instructed her to continue. "He went on a rant about how his life sucked which was when he made it clear he wanted to kill us so he could get thrown back in jail. I ran at him before he could finish talking knowing what would happen if we waited. We got into a fight, Ellie got slashed, and he stabbed me in the leg."

She reached down and felt the hole in her leg which had been covered in a gauze like substance by one of the EMTs. "He was standing over me ready to… fucking, kill me I guess, which is when Ellie hit him in the head with some pipe she found. We ran out to the street, found that old guy over there, and used his phone."

"So you two managed to overpower a knife-wielding adult male?" He cleared his throat. "Right, well, I'll have more questions for you two later, but I think I don't need to trouble you anymore for now." He closed up his notepad he had been writing in. He motioned towards her leg then Ellie's arm. "I'll go ahead and drive you two to the clinic to get those stitched up."

"I think we just want a ride back to our place."

He raised his eyebrows. "You sure? I really think you shou-."

"Just take us home."

The officer parked his car outside their apartment building's entry after the short drive. "I'm going to get in contact with you two later, but for now just get some rest, okay?"

Riley nodded while Ellie seemed to not have heard him at all. The officer waited until they were safely inside before driving off.

They headed up the two flights of stairs, Riley taking each step carefully with Ellie's support, and then down the hallway to their room. Their knock let them inside where they promptly fell onto the couch in front of the TV. Marlene greeted them warmly whereas Joel had watched them closely as they had slowly made their way toward him. He saw the red-stained bandage on Ellie's arm through the tear in her jacket.

"Jesus, what happened to you?"

Ellie lifted her arm and observed the wound for herself, her expression never changing from neutral. "We… got into a fight." She could hear Marlene gasp from the kitchen.

"Who was it?" Joel's demeanor became stern.

"…some guy."

Marlene dropped what she was doing and came to join in. She observed the girls as they spoke and looked them up and down. Her focus rolled over the back of Riley's left pant leg that was pressed against the couch. She was able to make out a decently sized area that was stained red as well.

"My god, Riley, your leg!"

"Yeah, he got me too."

"That coward, attackin' two girls. Who the hell was it?"

Marlene put her hand over Joel's shoulder and held him back against the chair. "Calm down." She looked sadly towards the girls. "Are you okay? Do you need anyth-"

"What'd he look like? I'll fucking kill him." Joel was furious in his chair but was still being held back from getting up.

Aiden had come out from his room after hearing Joel's uproar. He stood by Marlene and scanned over the girls as well. "Holy shit."

Riley sighed and looked at Ellie. She didn't want to bring any attention onto her and what she had just gone through. "The cops actually found him just a couple streets over." Joel eased up on his grip around the chair's arm. "They arrested him. So, it's fine."

Marlene left for a moment and reappeared in front of them with a plate of leftover food in each hand and passed them off to the girls. "Why don't you girls go get changed out of those clothes? You can eat after since you obviously didn't make it to the restaurant. I'll clean them up best I can tomorrow."

They did as she suggested and left to their room. Ellie closed the door behind them and leaned against it as she watched Riley slowly and painfully change out of her jeans. She started reaching for another pair before Ellie stopped her.

"Hold on." Ellie pushed herself off the door and knelt down beside Riley. She eyed the bandage closely then looked back up at her. "Can I see?"

Riley lowered her brows at the request. "…why? I mean, sure, but why?"

"Knowing he hurt you might help."

Riley hesitantly nodded and allowed Ellie to pull down the cloth wound around her thigh. Ellie ignored the hiss of pain from Riley as she continued to move it aside completely. The wound was a long narrow slit in the back of her leg, about two inches wide.

"Does it hurt?"

"What do you think?"

Ellie covered it tightly when she saw that the agitation caused it to start bleeding again. "Good." She stood back up and walked over to the dresser to swap out her coat.

"It's good that it hurts?"

She reasoned it out while changing out her shirt that was bloodied at the sleeve. "Means he deserved it."

Riley was conflicted between feeling happiness or sadness for the statement. "...you know he did."

"Yeah."

She put on her lighter coat and piled the heavier bloodied one and the shirt together on the dresser. She swung open the door and walked out, leaving Riley standing in the middle of the room in confusion. She finished putting on another pair of pants and threw the bloodied one on top of Ellie's pile and followed out after her.

Marlene was smiling as they came out in their changed clothes. "Good. Feel nice and dry now?"

They nodded their heads as they collapsed onto the couch and dug into their food.

"We can talk about all this tomorrow. Just watch TV for the night and get plenty of sleep." She walked off towards her room to do the same before stopping herself and turning around. "And I don't want you going out on the streets tomorrow."

"Yes, Marlene."

Riley's sarcastic tone was thick, but Marlene let it slide and went to bed for the night.

They finished off their food and watched TV with Joel for the next couple of hours, neither party saying a word for the entire duration. It was mostly reruns of classic shows from the 60's. They didn't find the shows interesting, nor boring, just simply something to distract themselves with.

The beauty of the falling snow just outside the window starkly contrasted the poor resolution of the black and white TV. Its screen casted a hypnotizing light over the room and left them unaware of nature's own show just a few inches to their right.

Joel got up from his chair after the last program let up and stood facing towards the girls, his growlish voice in full effect. "If you two ever need anythin' or get into any kind of trouble again, tell me. I'll make sure things get set right."

They were caught off guard and could only nod at his request, him giving one in return before leaving to his bedroom.

"We should probably do the same." Ellie exhaled as she got up and then helped Riley off the couch. She provided an arm for her to support herself with as they walked back to their bed.

Riley was limping harshly, favoring her left leg as much as she could. "This sucks. I swear he hit a damn tendon or something."

"I think Marlene's right. You should stay off it for a while."

"We'll see."

Ellie stopped helping her as soon as they got through the door. "What does that mean?"

"It means… you know, we'll be getting less money if I do."

"So what? It's stupid to permanently injure yourself. I can't believe I have to tell you that."

"Alright, geez. Sorry."

Ellie rubbed a palm against her eye. "Let's just go to bed. I really want this day to be over."

Riley sat down on the side of the bed and watched through the window the snow lazily falling. The occasional passing car illuminated the air and, for a few seconds, temporarily turned it into a galaxy of swirling and drifting stars. She was shook out of her gaze when Ellie fell onto the opposite side of the bed facing the wall and, consequently, away from Riley. Riley herself laid on her back and stared at the black and white stripes of light that were a permanent ceiling fixture at night.

Ellie tried getting to sleep for over an hour but was no more tired from when she first laid down as the night's events were incessantly replaying through her head.

Riley managed successfully early on, but the searing pain from the hole in her leg kept waking her up whenever agitated against the bed. She sighed as she felt a tension in the air. "You awake?"

Ellie ignored her question and chose instead to stare at the featureless wall and listen to the quiet roar of the cars as they passed by. She adjusted herself slightly which answered Riley's question and prompted her to continue.

"Ellie, I know you're having trouble seeing it, but it was his choice. He easily could have left us alone and we would've been happily eating at the Italian place tonight. But he made his decision, and that's on him, not you. I would've done the same. So would've anyone." She turned her head to face Ellie who now had her knees close to her chest. "Sorry. I'm not very good at this."

Ellie breathed out only a couple of words, barely audible, but enough to be heard. "Keep going."

Riley sighed slightly and tried to think of the best words she could without screwing it up. "He was an asshole, Ellie. And if you feel like shit now, imagine how much worse it would be if we had run and he found someone else and actually did kill them?"

She took a pause before speaking again with an obvious increase in emotionality in her voice. "You don't deserve to feel guilty. You're too amazing of a person to have to deal with that."

She turned onto her side and faced out the window again. "I don't know what else to tell you. You'll get through this at your own pace, you can't rush it. And don't forget I'll always be here for you. No matter what." She closed her eyes and settled in for the night. "You'll get through this. You're strong."

She tried hard to ignore Ellie's muffled sniffling but instead reluctantly let it be the focus of her attention as she fell asleep.


	28. Chapter 28

28;

Ellie heard the TV click on in the other room for the fourth morning in a row since that night in the alley. The sound was followed shortly by the muffled voices of newscasters talking about, from what she could tell, the weather. The predictability of it was, in its own way, comforting despite the fact that the time of morning was completely foreign to her. The combination of struggling to get to sleep each night and waking up in the dark hours of the early morning exhausted her. Her eyes desperately wanted to close but refused to.

She had been lying on her side watching Riley breathe for what felt like hours, the rhythmic motion of her rising and falling shoulder soothing. She squeezed her eyes shut and blinked them repeatedly until the sting was gone and then focused them past Riley to the outside of the window. The snow had stopped but left behind in its wake a new layer of white wherever she could see.

She carefully slipped out of bed without waking Riley, put on her coat over her pajamas, and walked barefoot out of their room into the main area.

Joel was sitting silently in his old torn up chair watching the news and browsing the newspaper. He didn't react to the girl emerging from his room, choosing instead to keep his attention on the wildfire article gracing the right half of the section he was turned to.

She silently walked across the faded and scuffed up hardwood floor and sat on the couch directly to his side. They both sat quietly until Joel lowered his paper, feeling the awkward quiet between them.

"Mornin' Ellie."

"Hi…" The word sounded more like a breath than a sound. Joel was halfway to putting up his paper back up before he was cut short. "You ever in the military?"

He furrowed his brow at the question he didn't think he'd ever hear in the morning, especially from Ellie. "What?"

"…never mind."

He stared at her a moment longer before sighing. "Why?"

"Just… want to know." Her tone was quiet and flat.

"I don't like to talk about it."

"So you were then?"

He folded up the paper and placed it on the table at the chair's side with an annoyance. "Yeah. 'Nam."

She tried to get an estimate on his age and the war's years. "You must have been really young."

"Again, I don't like to talk about it."

Ellie stayed quiet and let herself fall back against the couch while zoning out on the TV. Joel continued reading from where he left off, making it through only a couple more articles in the twenty minutes of increasingly awkward silence between them.

He glanced over at Ellie who was still staring off in the distance and put his paper once again down on the table. "Nineteen." His words slowly forced Ellie out of her trance. "Not much older than you actually."

Her eyes widened slightly at his answer. "How'd you do it?"

"Y'think I had a choice?" He scoffed. "Didn't matter if we were able to do it or not."

"But you did. You went over there." She pulled her knees up to her chest and held them tight while resting her feet on the couch cushions.

"Yeah."

"...did you kill anyone there?"

He bit his lip and exhale strongly through his nose. "Jesus, Ellie, just tell me where you're going with this. I don't like this beating around the bush bullshit."

She was surprised by the sudden response but gave in with a defeated sigh. "How do you get over killing someone?"

The man gave back an equally surprised look. "That's a heavy question. Why?"

She merely looked at him, needing to convey her answer without words. He looked back at her with his eyebrows raised and getting even more annoyed she was still avoiding the purpose of their talk. Right before he was about to question her again his face relaxed, releasing a soft breath.

"Shit... the other night?" She nodded timidly with what little energy she had. "Ellie, what hap-" He stopped himself mid-question and moved on. "Doesn't matter. And to answer your questions, yes I did, and with time."

She remained silent, latching on to every word.

"I'm obviously not exactly... personable. I don't relate well to others. But I'll tell you what my therapist told me after the war." He was about to continue but backtracked. "Mandatory therapist. Anyway, he had me go through the events in detail. Every single second I could remember. 'Visualize and confront it' he always said." He scratched his stubbled neck and glanced over at her room with Riley still inside sleeping. "This part'll be better with her, she was there. Go talk it out. The pain won't go away quickly kid, but it'll get better."

Ellie released her knees and set her feet back onto the floor. She gave Joel a half-smile and a one-armed hug, the other arm unable to reach around his chair. He gave her a quick nod and a grunt and went back to his paper.

Ellie walked back into her room, closed the door, and dropped her coat onto the ground. She stood still and watched Riley for a moment and let Joel's words flow through her head while breathing out the emotions that were quickly rising. She quietly slipped into the bed and pulled up the covers.

Without thought she molded herself against Riley, putting her arms around her chest and pulling as tight as she could to make sure there was no separation between them. She wasn't sure how to feel. All she knew is she needed comfort and Riley was the only way to get that.

Riley was pulled from her sleep and was barely able to open her eyes more than a slit before she gave up and kept them shut. "Hey… you okay?" Ellie stayed quiet and instead buried her face into the back of Riley's neck. "Ellie?"

"I'm okay. It's... I'm just tired."

It was obvious to Riley that it wasn't nothing, but she didn't have the energy to think, let alone be able to question her about it. She let it go and let the warmth of Ellie against her ease her back into sleep.

It wasn't long before she woke up again from the sun's rays flooding themselves into the room. The arms around her were gone and she ended up lying on her opposite shoulder facing away from the window. She stretched and let her eyes slowly adapt to the light.

"Shit!" Her mind raced to examine the face staring back at her. She exhaled and her heart began to slow as it finished its task. "Oh fuck, Ellie. You can't be doing that."

"Sorry." She continued looking at her .with no discernible emotion on her face.

"You're kind of creeping me out."

"You're really beautiful when you sleep. You know that?"

Riley widened her eyes, feigning discomfort. "Okay… now you're really creeping me out. How long have you been watching me?"

"I talked to Joel this morning."

She rubbed her eyes to clear some of the blurriness. "Did he talk back?"

She managed to get a slight smile out of Ellie. "Yes. He did. And he said that I need to talk about that… night. With someone."

Riley quickly put on a sympathetic expression and nodded. "I was hoping you'd open up sooner. What do you want to talk about?"

"I have no idea if this will work, but he said that I need to talk out what happened in detail."

"You mean when you saved our lives."

"…Riley."

"Sorry. I'm sorry. Go ahead."

Ellie opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. "Actually, I don't even know really where to start."

"Well, how about after I was hit? I pretty much didn't see anything you did after that."

"Okay. So… he punched and you ended up behind me. I remember being pissed off at that point so I just charged him. He was looking for the knife I think. Anyway, he was bent over and so I literally just kicked him in the face as hard as I could."

"Nice."

"Riley." Her tone more annoyed.

"Sorry. Again."

"He fell backwards bleeding pretty heavily from his nose. I ran at him again, going to punch him or something, I really don't know. It was hard to think."

"Adrenaline."

"Yeah. Well he found the knife, obviously, and slashed my arm." She lightly shook the arm with the bandage around it. "Hurt like hell. I ended up back with you where you were still trying to breathe. Then you apparently found a bottle from somewhere."

"It was underneath the dumpster."

"So you hit him with it as he got close, which must have worked because he grabbed his face and swung his knife like an idiot after that. We tried to run after that, right?"

"Yeah."

"You went one way and I went the other. Except I didn't, not really. I slipped. He ignored me and went for you, but I looked up in time to see his knife go into your leg." She squinted one eye, uncomfortable with the image.

"I feel the same way. Fucking thing went straight in, cutting all the muscle and whatever else."

"Gross, stop. So, yeah, you fell hard. I remember being panicked because you couldn't move and he was getting closer to you." She sighed. "I should've just jumped on him or something. I shouldn't have hesitated. You could've…"

"We both know how that would've turned out."

"Maybe."

"Keep going."

"Right. Well, I panicked and looked around for anything to use. I spotted a couple of things that would've been useless, but then I saw the tip of the pipe sticking out of the garbage. I pulled it out and moved towards the guy. After that I sort of just, and this is gonna sound strange, became a robot."

"What's that mean?"

"Like, it was as if my body did whatever it wanted."

"Freaky."

"It was. I remember pulling the pipe back and then swinging it forward at his head." She broke eye contact with Riley and glanced downwards at the bed itself, her voice beginning to quiver. "I watched his head… deform. I must've broke his skull. It got soft. Fuck."

"Breathe."

"And the sound it made? Oh god, Riley. It was like… wood and… and mud being smashed together. It was horrible."

Riley grabbed and tightened her grip around Ellie's hand to bring back her attention. "Hey, come on. Deep breaths."

Ellie did as she was told. "Okay, okay. I know." She shook her head. "I stared at him lying on the ground, blood pooling out of his head. I couldn't move. And after that I can't remember anything. Not until I had that blanket wrapped around me." She looked expectantly at Riley.

Riley was hesitant in asking. "Want to know?"

"I think I should."

"Okay… well… you were standing there completely still, just staring at him. I called your name but you didn't move. I shook you until you kind of came out of it and then I pulled you with me and we ran out of the alley. Limped out, I guess. I was going to lead us to the street to find someone but you fell halfway there. You… had a mental breakdown or something. You started to repeat yourself over and over again."

"Really? What did I say?"

Riley sighed, not wanting to tell her. "'I killed him.' You sounded like you were in disbelief at first. And then you started laughing, and then crying. It really fucking scared me. I just held you until you stopped and were able to get on your feet again."

"I don't remember any of that."

"I'm kind of glad you don't."

"What next?"

"We found the guy with the phone and then waited around until the cops showed up." She let the hand in hers go. "So that's it… how do you feel?"

Ellie sighed heavily and took a moment to let everything sink in. "I don't know. A little better I guess?"

Riley smiled and glanced at the door. "Tell you what, how about I make you some breakfast? It'll for sure make you feel better."

Ellie scratchily groaned. "Does that mean I have to get out of bed?"

"You know it does. I'm not letting you get crumbs and shit where we sleep."

"Fine. But it better good enough to be worth getting up for."

Riley pushed herself out of bed and landed her feet onto the cold floor. She walked over to the other side and held a hand out. Ellie grabbed it hesitantly and let herself be pulled out from under the warm blankets. "What do you want to eat?"

"Pancakes. I want pancakes."

"Decisive. Alright, deal." She put her hand on the door handle but was stopped before she could open it.

"Hey. Uh, thanks by the way for… you know, listening to all that."

"You know you don't have to."

"I want to. I don't nearly enough."

"For what?"

"For everything, Riley. We've been through so much shit together, and I know I could never have made it on my own. I can't even imagine where I would be right now without you… and I wouldn't want to." She exhaled and loosened her posture. "I just- you mean everything to me, you know? You are everything to me and… well, I…"

Riley tried to hide a soft smirk that had grown while Ellie stumbled over her words. "You… what?"

"I… don't know why I'm so fucking nervous about this." Ellie chuckled as she shook her head. She took a deep breath and stared into the girl's brown eyes. "I love you, Riley."

Riley knew what she was getting at but, although it had been strongly apparent between the two of them, actually hearing it aloud for the first time was a feeling like nothing else she'd ever felt before. Her heart skipped a beat, a wave of warmth flowed through her, and a uncontrollable grin graced her face. She gazed back into the girl's green eyes and let that same feeling take over.

"...I love you too."

"Yeah?"

"Of course."

They smiled contently at each other before settling into a deep, but short-lived, kiss.

Riley separated and rested her hands on Ellie's shoulders as the seriousness of the conversation sank in again. "You'll get through this, Ellie. And I'll be there every step of the way, you know that. I'm pretty sure I've told you this a million times."

"I know."

"Good." She groaned and rolled her eyes. "We're so pathetic."

"We really are... you gonna make me breakfast anytime soon?"

"Yeah, yeah. Get your ass dressed and I'll get it going."


	29. Unbalance

29;

Riley's eyes shot open in the blackness as the girl beside her let out a scream in the middle of the night. She sprung upwards and jerked her head to the right towards the sound. She managed to make out the silhouette of Ellie leaning up on her side of the bed.

"Ellie, what? What is it?"

Ellie's heart was racing and a few beads of sweat were running down her forehead despite the coldness of the room. She struggled to gain control of her breathing and placed one hand on her forehead and the other on her chest. "It was horrible."

"What was?" Riley asked quickly, her nerves still in a panic.

"Nightmare… it was so real."

Riley sighed out of both relief and frustration and motioned towards herself. "Come on. Come here." She leaned up and put her back against the wall.

Ellie fell over against Riley and laid her head on her lap. Riley yawned and began to mindlessly run her fingers through the freckled girls hair. Neither said a word as both had decided that the silence was the best option for the moment. Only once Ellie's breathing steadied and the tenseness in her body loosened did she whisper out.

"...sorry."

"Don't be. Must have been a hell of a nightmare."

"It was."

"Want to talk about it?"

She took another deep breath. "...I was back in that alley, with Ethan."

"Shit, that again?"

"Yeah, that again... mostly. He still tried to mug us and everything, but we didn't fight back... instead he... stabbed me, and then you, but... with you he didn't stop. I was already on the ground and was just watching him stab you over and over and over." Her voice grew increasingly unsteady. "Each time he did I could feel my heart beating harder and faster. I couldn't… couldn't move or anything. And you were making these horrible whimpering noises."

"Hey. Ellie. Come on, look at me." Riley rested a hand on the side of Ellie's face and tilted her towards herself. "It wasn't real. It was just a nightmare. Okay? I'm fine, you're fine."

Ellie slowed her breathing and shook her head slightly. "I know. But…"

"But?"

"There were two."

"Two… what? Nightmares?" Ellie nodded her head. "So what's the second one?" Riley asked even though she was hesitant about knowing.

Ellie spoke slowly and seemingly unsure of herself. "For some reason, right afterwards I was suddenly back at the orphanage. Tino and Sam were still alive."

Riley's heart sank at the mentioning of their names for the first time in months, uncomfortable with the feeling it stirred up within her.

"But it was weird. The room was pitch black, but I could see them perfectly standing side by side. That cooler door was behind them and they were both just staring at me, their eyes were a bright red color."

She rolled onto her back and watched the shadows dance along the ceiling. "The door behind them opened on its own and I could see that damn light bulb still hanging over the chair with David standing behind it. Then instantly they were sucked backwards and the door slammed closed." She let out a heavy breath. "I don't know what it meant, but it was really scary."

"I don't either. Maybe it doesn't have to mean anything."

"Maybe. But then why the hell would I dream something like that?"

"I really don't know, Ellie. We can talk about it tomorrow if you want to."

The implication of the statement was obvious. "…right." Ellie looked over at Riley and scrunched her face out of embarrassment. "Sorry for waking you."

"Totally fine. But I would like to get back to sleep though. You gonna be able to?"

"Yeah, I think so."

With those words of approval Riley laid back flat against the bed and let her arm around Ellie fall off as she rolled back over.

The morning after brought no comfort for either of them. The blinds over their widow once against threw a pattern of alternating light and shadow across them and the room like it did every morning. The cold morning air penetrated the glass and chilled the air throughout the apartment.

Ellie woke first and shuffled herself around trying to get what warmth she could from the blanket. She tugged it towards herself and unintentionally off of Riley, exposing her to the cold and forcing her awake.

"You up?" Ellie's voice was hoarse, the cold air doing her no favors.

"I am now." Riley's was no different but an additional tone of annoyance was apparent.

"How'd you sleep?"

She arched her back with a loud groan. "Not great. I didn't get back to sleep for a while after you woke me."

"Sorry again."

"And again, don't be. Not your fault you woke up with a scream, as freaky as it was." She twisted her body until her feet touched the ground but remained sitting on the bed.

Ellie kept her head on the pillow and spoke sleepily at her with an undertone of sadness. "Still weird though, I don't know why I'd dream about that place again."

"I don't either. Probably be better if we just ignore it though."

"Oh… but I thought we could talk about it. You said last night."

"I know what I said. I just don't want to anymore, okay?" Her voice carried impatience, something Ellie wasn't accustomed to hearing towards her.

"Alright… sorry."

"It's just..." She searched for an explanation but gave an exhale instead. "Can we just get some breakfast?"

Ellie leaned up from her pillow and watched as Riley left the room in silence. She was left speechless, unable to even mumble a sound in response. She hesitantly followed Riley's lead and slid her way out of bed and walked out into the main room where the other tenants were already preparing for the day.

Marlene was pouring milk into three glasses when she caught glimpse of Riley emerging first from the other room. "Morning, Riley." The combination of her demeanor and a lack of an answer immediately alerted her. "What's wrong?"

Riley sat at the table and made quick eye contact with Marlene, unable to force herself to hold it. "It's nothing."

"You sure? Seems li-"

"I'm fine."

She got the message and turned back around to finish pouring the drinks. "Okay..." She passed off one glass to Aiden, who was sitting on the couch, and was heading towards Riley when she spotted the last roommate appear. "Good morning, Ellie."

"Hi, Marlene."

It was impossible to miss the lack of enthusiasm. "Oh Lord. You too, huh?"

"What?"

"Nothing. Here's some milk. Waffles will be done soon."

She ignored the tension between the two girls as they both sat at the table, neither saying a word to each other. Riley looked distracted whereas Ellie just looked depressed. Something was clearly weighing on the two, but she'd rather let them work it out. She finished off a few batches of waffles and passed them out in the order of people to arrive first. Joel opted out of breakfast altogether, satisfied with his cup of black coffee and a newspaper.

Riley ate about half before pushing herself back in her chair and getting up from the table. She began to walk off before Marlene caught her.

"That's all you're eating?"

"I'm not done. Just gonna put some clothes on." She maneuvered around the table and disappeared back into their room, the door closing behind her.

Marlene couldn't help but take this moment to inject herself into the situation despite knowing to stay out of it. "Ellie, what's going on with Riley?"

Ellie managed to shrug as an answer. "I don't know. She snapped at me and just walked out."

"Well I don't like seeing you two like this. You should go talk to her."

"I'm not the one who started it."

"Ellie."

"I know, I know. I just don't want to right now. I'll do it later."

Marlene rolled her eyes and headed over to the couch to sit with Aiden with a plate of waffles in one hand and a bottle of cheap maple syrup in the other. Riley came back out just as she hit the cushion of the couch. She sat back down and continued where she left off with her food, taking a moment in between bites to talk.

"We should probably get going here pretty soon."

Ellie looked over with confusion at Riley from her sudden suggestion. "So early?"

"Well, we've been slacking the last few days thanks to these guys." She gestured towards Ellie's arm and her own leg. "Speaking of which, how's yours?"

Ellie rolled up her right sleeve and pushed aside the white bandage to reveal a wound that was just beginning to scab over.

"That's gonna scar."

"No shit. How's yours?"

"About the same. Only grosser since I can actually see into it."

They both sat silently for a few minutes before Ellie finished her food and excused herself from the table. "I'll get ready."

Once in the room she kicked aside the clothes Riley had dropped on the floor. She put on whatever shirt her hand touched first when reaching into the closest since it wouldn't be seen until she was back in bed at night. She pulled her hair into a ponytail and headed back into the main room. Ellie nodded to Riley and they both headed for the door.

"Thanks for breakfast, Marlene."

"Be safe out there." She widened her eyes at Ellie and motioned towards Riley who returned an annoyed nod of agreement at her.

They made their way down the hallway which was always able to make them uncomfortable. New foreign stains graced the wall and there were a few unmoving people staggered throughout. The girls made their way past a couple of them, headed down the stairs, past the den lady near the front entrance, and out into the street again. They walked as fast as Riley could manage along the sidewalks for several streets without speaking until they reached the spot where they were to split off.

Ellie was the first to speak, though not about the obvious. "I'll see you around five then?"

"Yeah."

"Where at? We can do the soup kitchen again, or that little diner near the bank."

"Either one is fine."

"Okay… let's just do the soup kitchen then. It's cheaper."

"Sure."

Ellie sighed, hating every moment of it. "Alright, well… see ya in a bit, I guess."

She leaned in for a painfully awkward kiss and headed off in a direction opposite Riley's.

She walked the last several streets not thinking about anything specifically but rather letting her emotions have free reign. Unfortunately, they grew to the point where it felt like her head was being compressed and the word around her was growing hazy. It must've been apparent on her face since more people than usual were avoiding her. She took her spot and, as embarrassed as the hundred times before, started begging for change from complete strangers.

She propped up a cardboard sign with a generic pandering message, a sign that she's always hated, and sat herself against the wall, its cold hardness she's always despised. She rested her arm on her knee and held out the scuffed up plastic cup with zero interest. She focused on the sidewalk near the peoples' feet and half-watched as blurred figures flowed from one side of her vision to the other. She would infrequently shift her focus upwards following the occasional hollow thudding sound a coin would make landing inside her near empty cup.

Her thoughts saturated her mind and denied the outside world access. Riley took up half of its capacity and the orphanage the other half. She couldn't stand the silent treatment from Riley and hated the feeling that there was something that she wasn't being involved in. They talked about everything and anything, no matter what it was, and being denied that was something she's never had to deal with before.

Another coin drop pulled her out of her inner rant for just a moment. She looked up in time to see the person moving on. She attempted a simple thanks, but her mind couldn't force her mouth to open.

As soon as the donator was out of earshot her thoughts took over again without pause.

This is such bullshit. If this had to do with the other night she should've just told me. Like always. But no, for some fucking reason this time is different and she goes and makes it weird between us. I mean, what the hell? We go through some shit and then all of a sudden she- I just... if it is about that, it's not like it affects only her. They're in my head constantly too, how could they not be? David, the orphanage, our past, all that. But that doesn't mean-

"If you're going to beg for free money you should at least try to earn it."

Ellie was rapidly pulled from her chaotic rambling thoughts and thrown back onto the sidewalk. Her eyes tilted upwards to focus in on a man in a dark brown trench coat standing in front of her.

She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "What?"

"You heard what I said. If you want money you're going to have to earn it."

She glanced back at the ground in disbelief. "Leave me alone…"

"Not even going to try? That's real surprising."

"Leave me alone!" In an instant her voice rose to a shriek.

The man stepped back in surprise but retained his expression of arrogance. He shook his head and walked away with a snide comment. A few people had stopped to witness the outburst but she simply ignored them. She had an extensive amount of experience in doing so since she had to deal with an immeasurable amount of those who thought little to nothing of her every day.

The compression in her head had grown and shifted toward her brow. She settled back into her physical position and her position in thought, never truly leaving the latter.

But that doesn't mean I get to act like an asshole every time they do. I know we had to leave and it wasn't our fault they didn't listen to us. We did what we could, even she said that. At least, for the most part. And besides, if not us, then who?

Before long the sun was three quarters through its path for day and the street lights were just beginning to flicker on. She dumped what meager change she received from the day into her pocket and exhaustedly shuffled her way back across the city towards the soup kitchen. She stopped just outside the building and leaned against the wall next to the door with her arms folded tightly.


	30. Chapter 30

30;

Riley walked toward the northeast after splitting off from Ellie and attempted to gather what she could from people along the way to her spot, her efforts half-assed. She would regularly make eye contact with the people passing by, hoping to convey some personal responsibility, but today she could barely even manage a fleeting glance.

She took a different tactic than Ellie did when begging from people. She would, for as long as her feet would allow, either stand or lean against the wall to try to get the personal attention of the uninterested masses. Her sign also conveyed a different message. One that emphasized being homeless and an orphan, though only one was true anymore.

But today her tactics were fruitless. She wasn't able to get anyone involved, nor did she really try. Her posture was poor and she settled for leaning against the wall the entire time, occasionally holding out her cup and shaking it as people walked by which was almost a guarantee they would ignore her. That normally didn't affect her, but with each person passing by without even so much as acknowledging her existence, she felt herself becoming more and more dehumanized to the point of feeling like an object on the sidewalk.

Thoughts of Ellie weighed heavily on her. She knew why she acted the way she did, and why she kept her distance, but she had no interest in discussing it. Instead, she'd rather do what she always did and hate herself and deal with the awkwardness now for no other reason than her own stubbornness. She'd be back to herself soon enough but needed time.

However, for now, the accumulation of being continually ignored and the unwanted thoughts of her own behavior caused her to become more anxious and short tempered with each passing minute and each passerby. By the time a man spoke at her near the end of the day she had reached her peak.

The catalyst wore a long brown coat and was holding a briefcase with glasses adorning his nose. He scoffed at the girl he saw, apparently finding the situation humorous.

"Another one? Jesus, the homeless are lazy today."

Riley remained motionless as she swiveled her eyes to meet his. "Are you fucking kidding me?" She inched herself away from the wall and towards the man who had now taken a defensive posture. "What the hell is your problem?"

"My problem? My problem is with people who make our city look like some sort of vagrant haven. People like you. Not only that, but you're begging without even trying. You want free money while people like me have to work hard to earn what we get. You're lazy."

"Fuck you man, this isn't my choice." She moved closer causing the man to take a step back. "I've been given a lot of shit to deal with in my life and it's just now starting to get better. I don't need some privileged asshole reminding me of just how much it fucking sucks, okay? So don't judge me based on one goddamn second of my entire life! Now fuck off and leave me the fuck alone!"

The man stumbled backwards as his last step caused him to catch the edge of the curb. He straightened himself and glanced into the eyes of the now feral girl. He defected eye contact and hurried off in the direction he was originally heading.

Riley slowed her breathing as she watched the man disappear into the distance and around the corner of a building. She fell back against the wall and let herself slide down it until she was sitting flatly on the ground. She watched the shadows stretch while her mind was in a daze, the time nearing dinner.

She pushed herself off the ground, hid her sign, and tightened her scarf as the sun set and the cold descended quickly over the city. She walked a couple streets back towards where Ellie and she had split that morning but followed another street in a different direction before reaching it. She rounded the corner of a building and caught sight of yellow light pouring out from a small window in the door of her destination.

As she got closer she saw Ellie standing off to the side casually observing the people that were walking by after their long day.

Ellie took a step away from the wall when she spotted Riley. "Hey."

"Hey." They shared a quick hug before Riley took a quick glance around. "What are you doing out here? It's freezing."

"Just clearing my head."

"Well come on."

She led them inside where the warm air and smell of chicken broth met them instantly. They lined themselves up and sluggishly made their way through the longer than normal line due to the cold weather. They were poured their pasta and soup combo and then took a table farthest from the door that they could get.

Riley was the first to finish her bite and get rid of the silence between them. "How'd you do?"

"Not great. About fifteen bucks."

"I meant you."

Ellie locked eyes with Riley for a moment before breaking off and digging into her food again. "Well, I was depressed the entire day. So there's that. And I'm pretty sure I went crazy for a couple of minutes right before yelling at some asshole."

"Sounds like my day."

Ellie scoffed quietly. "We're not good at fighting."

"Guess not." Riley sighed and took a few more bites. "I yelled at some guy too."

"Yeah? Why?"

"He called me lazy… the asshole. So I told him to fuck off."

A slight smile escaped Ellie, the first all day. "Was he wearing a long coat?"

Riley reciprocated the smile. "Yeah… briefcase and glasses?"

Ellie nodded causing them both to quietly laugh. "He called me lazy too. What the hell was wrong with that guy?"

"No idea. I mean, he wasn't wrong. But still, fuck him."

"Yeah."

After they finished they pushed their way through the door and out into the night air which instantly stung their faces. They pulled their hoods over their heads and made their way back to the apartment building, the light over its entrance flickering. Aiden let them into the apartment and immediately ran back to the table where his half-eaten plate of food was waiting. The girls performed their quick greetings and sat themselves on the couch next to an unusually empty chair.

They were both exhausted and couldn't even force themselves to shift themselves into a more comfortable position than the ones they landed in. They instead relaxed and just absorbed the sights and sounds around them from the monotone sports casting to the chewing and clinking sounds of Aiden and Marlene eating.

After a show or two Ellie looked over at Riley and motioned towards the bedroom expectantly. Riley returned with a nod while Ellie pushed herself off the couch.

"Good night Marlene. We're going to bed."

"So soon? You just got back."

She unknowingly rubbed her temple. "It's been a… bit of a rough day. We're tired."

Marlene took on a sympathetic expression but allowed it no voice. "Okay then. Good night girls."

Ellie nodded towards Aiden as they walked across the floor and disappeared into their room, shutting the door behind them. They undressed, shut off the ceiling light, and crawled their way under the blanket. Ellie laid on the side closest to the door and Riley on the other, a noticeable gap between them which made Ellie uncomfortable.

She rolled on her back and spoke to the air. "Want to talk?"

"About what?" Riley's tone was neutral.

"You know what."

"I don't."

Ellie sighed as she was getting nowhere with subtleties. "I don't know exactly what it was, but since last night, after I had that nightmare, you've been all… withdrawn." Riley stayed quiet so she retorted. "Please say something. I hate this between us."

Riley spoke slowly as though she was inventing her excuse as she went. "I know we don't keep things from each other, but let me just work through this, okay?"

"That's what I don't like. I don't know what this is."

"Ellie…"

She exhaled, fighting back her urge to continue. "Alright, fine. I'll let it go. For now."

Riley cut the conversation there and indicated it by readjusting herself and pulling the blankets up a little higher. She peered out the window and watched the occasional snow flake drift past the window until she could no longer keep her eyes open.

The morning came far too quickly causing Riley to grumble and roll herself over to face away from the sun. She was surprised to see Ellie still on her side of the bed. She watched her shoulder rise and fall for a while before closing her eyes again. Though before she fell asleep the sound of the sheets rustling caused her to reopen them.

Ellie rolled over on her side and immediately squinted against the light that was blacking out Riley's features. "You awake?"

"Just now, yeah. No nightmares?"

Ellie barely shook her head. "No nightmares."

"Good."

"Done being distant?"

"Yeah, I think so." She half-smiled at the girl's bluntness.

"Good too." She moved herself closer towards Riley as though she had received permission. "What about the other thing?"

"My brain doesn't work in the morning."

"The reason for you being distant."

Riley groaned and squeezed her eyes closed. "It's so early."

"Come on. For me?"

"Ellie, I love you… but no. At least not now, okay?"

She grunted in annoyance. "Fine. I'm not gonna let it go though."

Riley scoffed jokingly. "I wouldn't expect you to."

"Are you calling me stubborn?"

"Yes."

"Ass."

They drifted off into sleep for only a couple more hours until the creaking of their door woke them up. Marlene slowly poked her head in purposely at an angle away from them, the one eye that could see them was blocked by her hand.

"Sorry if I'm interrupting something. I'm running some errands for a while, wanted to know if you girls needed anything." She heard one of them laughing which prompted her to lower her hand.

"It's fine Marlene. And I don't think so. You?"

"I think we're good. Oh, actually, we're almost out of toothpaste. Could you grab us one?"

"Sure. And by the way it's almost ten. If you wanted to know." She smiled as she disappeared back through the door.

Riley groaned and stretched outwards as far as possible. "So, what do you want to do today?"

"Nothing." Ellie was still half asleep with her face buried in her pillow.

"Yeah, me neither. But doing nothing isn't really doing, is it?"

Ellie grunted as she rolled her head to the side. "Don't get all philosophical on me."

"That was hardly philos-"

"Don't."

Riley rolled her eyes and ignored the interruption. "I think we should probably head back to the haven."

"Why's that?"

"We've been pretty lazy lately. We haven't even talked to him in a few weeks." She slid her feet off the side of the bed and rubbed her eyes. "We should just see if he has any leads."

"Alright, I guess. Head over there after lunch?"

"Sure." She put on her jacket and threw Ellie's to her while she was still in bed. "I'll make us lunch."

Riley walked out the door and pulled out a pan from one of the cabinets in the kitchen. She pulled out some bread from its bag and some cheese from the refrigerator, one of the few food items that could regularly be found there. She turned around and leaned on the counter while waiting for the pan to heat up and glanced over at the TV.

She lowered her brow and called out to Aiden who was on the far side of the couch. "Where's Joel?"

Aiden shrugged and kept looking forward.

"That's all I get? A shrug?"

"It's an answer. What more do you want?"

"Words for starters."

His face quickly became pouty. "He's been gone since yesterday. I don't know what he does or where he goes."

"Much better. Notice all that time we could've saved?"

"Don't be rude, Riley." Ellie had been listening at the doorway before deciding to walk out to the family room and take a seat next to Aiden on the couch.

"I don't think I was being rude. I was just pointing out the finer points of conversation."

Ellie sarcastically let out a single laugh. "Since when did you become a linguist? You cuss like every other word."

"Like hell I do." Her eyes widened in realization. "…except that. Ignore that." She grunted and turned back around to the stove to focus on the pan.

"See?"

Riley finished cooking the grilled cheese sandwiches and passed one to Ellie and sat herself in the empty chair. They watched one of Aiden's cartoons while they finished their food and commented on nearly every aspect of the show, much to his dismay. They finished eating just as it was coming to an end and went to get ready to leave.

"Alright, we're going for a bit."

"See ya."

"Make sure you lock it."

"Yeah, yeah."

The girls took to the streets and made a zigzag pattern through the city, ending up outside the neutral office building façade of the haven. The inside hadn't changed in the slightest, still relatively dirty on the inside with kids of all ages weaving their way in and out through its doors. They headed toward the back of the room where Henry' office was and peaked around the door frame. The man tilted his head up from his computer and motioned them in.

"Haven't seen you two in a while."

They took the seats in front of the small desk. "Yeah, sorry about that."

"What for? I take it to mean that you're doing decently enough to not need regular assistance."

"We're doing alright."

"And how's the shelter working out?"

"The place is a shithole, but our roommates are cool. It's got a roof and a bed too which is good."

"I figured as much. At least it's working out though." He tapped some sheets of paper together on top of his desk, lining them up, and placed them into a drawer out of their view. "So, I assume you could use some help with something?"

"We're here to just check out the job situation actually. Any leads or whatever."

He slowly shook his head, not giving himself a moment for hesitation. "Sorry girls, not today. I've only gotten a few in the past month. It's pretty bad right now." He saw as Ellie gave a disappointed nod. "It's just how it is. Gotta keep trying no matter what, you know?"

The girls acknowledged the situation and stood up to make their way out. Henry did the same and followed them out to the main area of the building before stopping them. "Have you two made any friends here yet?"

Ellie bit the corner of her mouth before responding. "We, uh… tried that once. Worked okay for a few weeks. Then not so much."

Riley reached behind Ellie and started rubbing her back, a sign Henry took to mean tread lightly.

"I see. I'm sorry to hear that. But there are a lot of good kids here your age should you want to try again. Anyway, sorry again for the lack of jobs. It's been a pain to get any leads that'll take in kids in their living situations."

"It's cool. Thanks anyway. We're probably just gonna head out then."

He shook their hands and gave them a nod. "Good seeing you again."

"You too."

They dodged their way past a couple of kids on their way out through the door. Riley yawned and turned to the right and started walking.

"Well that was a letdown."

"Yeah. But I've learned not to expect anything really."

"True."

Instead of following the same zigzag pattern back to the apartment Riley led them in a more direct path in the shape of an L. They passed through an area of the city they normally don't see much of, complete with shops and diners that they've never heard of. As they rounded the street to the last straightaway back towards the apartment, a park on the opposite side of the street came into view.

They both immediately stopped and looked it over for a moment each. "Well that's something we haven't seen in a while."

"No kidding."

"Come on."

Riley grabbed Ellie's hand and pulled her across the street and into the grassy area beyond the border of trees that lined the park's sidewalk. They fell over on the grass and rolled on their backs hoping for the sun to warm them, but instead only receiving a cool diffused light through the blanket of butts.

Riley sighed and closed her eyes. "Don't you just miss this? Sleeping out in nature?"

"Is that a joke or…?"

"Kind of."

"I will admit that it has some… charm now that we're not forced to live in it."

Riley waited for a moment then smirked at her comment. "Kind of did a one-eighty there, huh?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, our first night out here after… you know, you were pretty much in love with the stars and the trees and all that."

Ellie let out kind of sad laugh. "Right. Well that was before I had to live in it for almost a month."

"Oh my gosh, you poor thing. An entire month?"

"Shut up."

Ellie elbowed her before they both relaxed and entered a contemplative state for some time, laying without a word and just absorbing everything around them at once. The wind, the cold, the grass, the birds and car noises.

Ellie rolled to her side and faced Riley. "You remember our first night here?"

"Sure."

"We got in the city at night and slept pretty much right over there." She nodded towards a nearby corner of the park. "We had no idea what was in store for us, we just sort of went with it. And I'm glad we did, really. I don't know if we would've become as close as we have if we hadn't, but…"

"That doesn't sound good."

Her eyes saddened a bit. "…we just left."

Riley groaned and closed her eyes. "Shit, Ellie. Not this again."

"I'm serious, Riley."

"I know you are, and I know we left. But, it's done, okay? There's nothing more to it."

"So that's it? We just forget it?" She began mouthing another word but exhaled instead.

"Ellie, what do you want me to say here? I mean really?"

Ellie rolled on her back again, her voice becoming almost timid and disheartened. "I… I don't know. Anything. I guess."

The frustration in Riley's voice faded and became similar to Ellie's. "I'm sorry, I am. I just- I don't want to talk about it. I told you I will when I can."

"And when's that?"

"...I don't know."

They both returned to facing towards the sky, both now feeling different levels of emotion and an awkward quiet between them again. They both hated it, but neither could, or would, do anything about it. So instead they chose to lie there for another hour, half dozing, half thinking, until my butts again started trickling down flakes of ice.

Riley crinkled her nose and pulled her hood over her head when one hit her between the eyes. She sighed and stood up, outstretching a hand to Ellie who initially stared at it before grabbing on. They silently trudged their way back to the apartment amidst the falling snow and crashed onto the couch upon arrival, giving into lethargy for the remainder of day.


	31. Chapter 31

31;

"Do you trust me?"

Ellie paused with some hesitation. "I think so."

"Come on, gonna need more than that."

"Fine. Yes, I trust you."

Riley grinned then turned to face the man standing at the end of their table. "We're gonna start with some calamari."

"I'll get that going right away." The man nodded and disappeared through a door near the back.

The diner's atmosphere portrayed the popular style of the times when it was first built, likely the fifties or sixties. The exterior was rounded, lacking any hard edges, and was lined with blue and red neon lighting that wrapped around the entire building.

The inside featured a bar that stretched throughout the diner in its entirety, the edges dotted with barstools with cushy blue tops. The floor was checkered black and white and the décor featured pieces old cars, red and white booths, and walls covered in signs for any and every business.

"Calamari?"

"It's, uh, fried…" Riley finished with a mumble. "…squid."

"Did- did you say squid? Fried squid? Seriously? That's sick."

"Hey, you said you trusted me."

"Yeah, well, that was before you ordered us squid."

"Relax, it's awesome. You'll love it." She smirked at Ellie with a smugness. "Besides, have I ever steered you wrong?"

"Yes."

"Yeah that was a stupid question."

They both broke out in a laugh just as the server came by with their drinks and then took off again. They took a couple of sips before relaxing back into their seats.

"If you say it's good then I guess I'll at least try it."

"That's all I ask." Riley smiled at her jokingly, but soon watched as Ellie's own smile slowly faded from a grin to a neutral one and finally to something that looked like a mixture of confusion and nervousness. "What is it?"

Ellie nodded her head in the direction behind Riley and to the right. "See those two guys in the booth over there?"

Riley twisted herself around and eyed the direction she was looking at. She spotted a couple of heads sitting in a booth next to one of the windows. Only one was facing them, the back of a head was all she could see of the other.

She turned back around and gave her a confused look. "Yeah. So?"

Ellie widened her eyes as if she had been expecting a reaction. "So? They don't look like anybody to you?"

"Should they?"

She put her elbow on the table and pushed her temple against her fingers with a distressed look. She looked around for a couple of seconds before sliding off the seat and standing herself up. Riley gave her another look of confusion which she ignored. She walked towards the booth and slowed down as she passed by it. She examined the faces of the two guys at the table and froze for a moment.

One of them looked over in obvious confusion. "…yes?"

Hearing his question snapped Ellie out of her daze where she found herself at a loss. "Uh, nothing. Sorry." She awkwardly walked her way back to the booth where Riley had been watching the entire time and sat back in her spot.

"Well that was embarrassing. Want to tell me what that was about?"

"I…" She shook her head and then took a drink. "I'll tell you after."

"Okay. Weird." She looked down at the plate now in between them. "Food came while you were doing… whatever the hell that was."

Ellie picked a piece up and observed it closely. "They look like onion rings or something."

"Pretty much. Now can you stop playing with your food and just eat it?"

She glared at Riley and cautiously ate one, expecting to hate it. She chewed through it slowly and swallowed it with a neutral look. She focused on Riley again and rolled her eyes. "I still trust you."

"Told ya you'd like it."

"You also said I'd like pizza."

Riley chuckled at the absurd statement. "I still don't know how you can't like pizza! It's like the one food that everyone can agree on."

Ellie shrugged. "I don't know. It's just really greasy."

"That's one of the best parts." Riley exhaled and took a piece of food. "I swear you're not human. Like some kind of… pizza hating robot. Or something."

"I could be like the terminator. Sent from the future to destroy pizzas."

"I hate you. You would, singlehandedly, make the world a terrible place."

After some more bantering and a couple of entrees they left the diner and headed back out onto the street. The day was getting dim, but not enough yet to where the street lights kicked on. They turned onto a lightly populated street with other people already walking along it.

"So?" Riley looked expectantly over at Ellie, obviously giving her a sign which she didn't quite grasp.

"What?"

"You said you would tell me after. Well now's after."

"After? Oh, right." She rubbed her arm. "Don't freak out on me, okay?" Riley gave her an annoyed nod. "Alright. I thought they kind of looked like, uh… Sam and Tino."

"Seriously?"

"I know! I know, alright? It's messed up and it was stupid for me to think tha-"

Ellie was suddenly shoved hard to the side by a man running down the sidewalk. Riley caught her as she fell and helped her back to her feet. The man kept up his full sprint as he continued down the road ignoring the voices behind him.

"Ow! Son of a bitch that hurt. What the hell?"

"Asshole!" Riley turned back toward Ellie. "You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a bit-"

They both immediately ducked down when a high-pitched squealing sound followed by a loud crack and some low thudding occurred nearby. They looked farther down the road just in time to see the runner roll over the top of a car and then hit face down onto the street behind it. The person in the car had slammed on his brakes and pulled hard to the side, stopping only after hitting the pole of a street light.

"Holy shit! You see that?" She quickly glanced at Ellie and back to the accident after getting a nod from her.

They ran down the sidewalk to where the man was lying and several people were now standing around. He was spread out on the ground motionless and not breathing as far as they could tell. They heard a yell from somewhere around them for someone to call the police.

The nearby car was clicking from the heat of the engine which itself was now completely totaled. The hood was caved in and had molded itself around the pole about half way up towards the cracked windshield. The hazard lights were flashing and illuminating the otherwise dark section of street a muddled yellow color.

The driver swung open the door and stepped out holding his head. A couple of the people that were standing around the man on the street ran over to check on him while the remaining were distracted by his groans. Riley quickly examined the people around the runner and realized they weren't paying immediate attention. She knelt down and hastily patted his coat in a couple of spots which forced Ellie to nervously glance around.

Riley slipped her hand under the left half of the coat and produced a brown wallet which she then stashed in her own jacket. She stood up quickly and put an arm around Ellie, forcing her to start moving away from the scene.

Ellie followed along only until they were a distance away from the other people and out of earshot. She pushed the arm off of her and shoved Riley backwards.

"Are you crazy? What the hell are you doing?"

Riley kept her voice down and kept looking straight ahead. "I'm just getting us some extra money. It's not like he's not gonna need it anymore."

Ellie was dumbfounded and struggled for words. "Jesus, Riley. That's not the point!"

"We'll talk about it later. Just keep moving, come on." She put an arm around Ellie again to get her moving and was again pushed off.

"Don't touch me."

Riley gave up and moved hurriedly back in the direction of the apartment, leaving the runner and the car behind them but taking a small piece of the event with her. Ellie was anxious the entire walk. Her heart was racing as she darted her eyes back and forth analyzing the immediate area for anything. The sun was dropping lower in the sky and caused shadows to stretch across the city which put Ellie even more on edge.

"It's later." Ellie was honest but the sarcasm was thick.

"Later?"

"We'll talk about it later." She quoted her with a mocking tone. "Remember that?"

Riley shrugged at her. "Yeah, I do. I just wanted us to get moving though. There's nothing really to talk about is there?"

"You're kidding right? I mean you have to be because thinking that stealing a wallet from a dead guy is not something worth talking about is insane." Ellie was progressively getting louder and quickly losing her patience.

"Can you keep your voice down? I got caught up in the moment, sorry. He was running so I figured he probably stole some money or something and it wasn't actually his. And besides, we don't know he was dead."

"That's so… I don't even know what to say. I'm just gon-"

Riley and Ellie both stopped in their tracks when a man appeared in front of them. They eyed him nervously and started to walk backwards to put some distance between them and him. They stopped again when they spotted a second man already behind them with a hood over his head, shadows blocking his face. The girls looked around entirely but spotted no cars driving along the road, not even other pedestrians. The front man walked forward and stopped just a couple feet from them.

Riley's voice was shaking, noticeably filled with panic and irritation. "What do you want?"

"You have something that belongs to us." The man spoke with a calm demeanor. Riley looked confused and shrugged her shoulders. "In your pocket."

She glanced down and quickly reached into her coat's front pocket. She pulled out the wallet and tossed it to the man in front of her. "Here. We don't want any trouble."

"Thank you." He nodded to the man behind them and then looked back at the girls. "Sorry about this."

Their eyes widened in fear. "Wait! We won't-"

Ellie jerked her head to her left when she heard Riley yell. She glimpsed a shimmer of metal being pulled from her back only to disappear again into the same spot. "Riley!" She screamed as she went to attack the hooded man only to be hit in the side of the head by the other man's fist.

She hit the ground hard and could feel a boot press itself against her back. Her head was sent into a complete daze and her ears began deafeningly ringing from the impact. The world went blurry, but she could make out the shape that was Riley hit the ground next to her.

The man crouched down against Riley and repeatedly buried his knife into her while Ellie hysterically screamed at him but only managed to accomplish tearing her own throat up. She looked into Riley's eyes as they faded, tears pouring from her own.

The man eventually stood up when the girl stopped moving and stepped over to Ellie. He forcibly pulled her to her feet while she continued to stare at her lifeless friend. Her entire face was soaked and her body had completely shut down.

She unfocused on Riley and lowered her head when she heard the sound of a gun cock from behind. "Just do it already." Her voice was no more than that of someone whose entire world was just destroyed right in front of them. "I don't care."

The man in front moved his face closer in interest. "You'd rather die than live without her?"

She snarled back at him. "Yes."

"That's sweet. I think I can help with that." The hooded man behind her spoke for the first time with a familiar accent.

She furrowed her brow when she heard him and after a moment her heart sank with the realization. She turned around and found herself at the end of a gun barrel, the face of the man behind it in clear view.

"…David."

"Ellie."

A bright flash and a deafening sound forced a familiar repeating pattern of light and shadow to suddenly project itself in the room around her. She lurched up in bed with a scream.

Riley immediately jerked up in a panic and instinctively reached over to calm her, but Ellie recoiled from her sudden movement and frantically pushed herself away from the approaching figure with another scream.

"Hey, it's me! It's okay. It's just me."

After desperately analyzing the room she was suddenly thrust into she realized she was in her bed and no one else but Riley was there. A wave of bewilderment, relief, and fear washed over her, the combining emotions leaving her in tears.

Riley sleepily crawled closer and laid Ellie's head onto her lap, again rubbing her arm trying to provide some sort of relief until her emotions rebalanced.

"You're okay. You're in bed and you're safe. It's just me here."

Ellie's crying was reduced to sniffling and she began breathing normally again.

"Jesus, Ellie. I think that's your worst one yet."

"I hate them so much." She spoke with barely a whimper and on the verge of crying again.

"I know... I know."

Marlene came hurrying through the door just a moment later. "What's going on? I heard screaming." She spotted Ellie laying on her side against Riley, both of whom looked exhausted.

"Ellie had another nightmare."

She sighed and let her posture relax. "I'm sorry, Ellie. I know you've been having them a bit lately, but I don't think I've ever heard you scream from one before. At least not like that."

"Me neither."

"They don't seem to be getting any bet-" She stopped herself, realizing her train of thought was unbeneficial. "Sorry, that's not helping. I'll be right back, one second." She disappeared out the door which was followed by some noises in the kitchen. She reappeared a minute later with a glass of liquid and placed it on the table next Ellie's side of the bed. "Here. This should calm you."

Ellie managed to lean herself up slightly and mumble out some words. "What is it?"

"Valerian tea. I'm told it helps you sleep and eases anxiety. Both of which I think you could use right now."

She scoffed. "Yeah."

"I'm sorry you're having these nightmares, sweetheart. Drink up and try to get some rest." She laid a hand on Ellie's shoulder and then stepped back through the door while quietly closing it behind her.

Riley started rubbing her arm again. "You want to talk about it?"

"Not really."

"Alright." Riley sank her head back against the upright pillow and closed her eyes. "They'll stop. It just takes time."

"Will they though?" Ellie sat upright, her words suddenly more stern. "Marlene's right, they haven't stopped for like a month now. They just seem like they're getting worse."

"Well I t-"

"And not only that but you're still ignoring them, Riley."

"But tha-"

"Like they don't exist or something."

Riley rubbed her temple out of embarrassment. "Okay, okay. I get it. And yes, you're right. And I feel really shitty about it. I should never have let it go this long. So if you want to talk, we'll talk."

"You say that every damn time, Riley. We never do."

"I know I do. I know. But I promise. Really."

There was a moment of silence between them as Ellie scrutinized Riley's words. She cautiously gave in to their honesty. "Okay."

Riley stifled a yawn. "Okay. Get some sleep, you need it. We'll talk tomorrow. Promise."


	32. Chapter 32

32;

The small table was lined with pairs of plates and glasses, both empty as they waited for the product of Marlene's efforts at the stove. The sky was again a bright gray and the last snow of the season was coming down hard on the city, reducing the visibility outside the window to just a few hundred yards. Marlene was finishing up a plain eggs and toast breakfast for the girls and Aiden.

She spoke over her shoulder as she couldn't afford to turn her focus away from the sensitive food. "You okay, Ellie?"

"Yeah…" The implication of the question sunk in after she answered it. "Oh, right. Yeah, I guess."

"What was it anyway?"

"I'd rather not. If that's okay."

Marlene walked over with a half-gallon of milk and poured it out into their glasses. "Of course, you don't have to. It must've been quite intense though for you to wake up like you did. I can't even imagine." She noticed Ellie averting eye contact so she dropped the subject. "The eggs will be done in a minute."

She finished up a failed omelet attempt and passed them out to the four other people in the room as scrambled eggs. "Speaking of a weird night, I heard you come in late Joel. Where have you been?"

The scruffy man was sitting in his usual spot and also as usual keeping to himself. "Went out of town."

Marlene paused expecting something more but received nothing but quiet. "Well, why'd you go out of town?"

"See an old friend I ain't seen in some time." He followed up with a noise, something like a combination of a grunt and clearing his throat.

Marlene rolled her eyes took his continuing vagueness as a sign to move on.

The three of them sat and watched TV while Ellie and Riley ate quietly in their corner of the room, neither wanting to discuss the night before with the others present. They finished and retreated back into their room before once again appearing with their heavy coats.

"We're going out for a bit."

"I don't like you girls going out and begging. It's not safe."

"We aren't today. But thanks." Riley gave a half-assed smile before ushering her and Ellie out through the door.

They threw over their hoods as they pushed through the building's entrance door. There was an apparent lack of wind, the calmness of which allowed for fog to settle and for the falling snow to float nearly straight down. They headed in no particular direction, just one with busy roads.

They walked in silence and took in the weather as much as they could before Riley brought up what Ellie knew the purpose for their walk was. "Was it the same?"

Ellie kept staring straight ahead as they walked. "Different, but the same. Yeah."

"Tell me."

"…I don't know if I really should anymore. It's probably stupid."

"Ellie. It's not stupid. Come on. And besides, you're the reason we're out here. Don't be stubborn."

"Yeah, I know. Alright. So… we were at some diner and you made me try calamari."

"Gross."

"You liked them in the dream! You don't really?" Riley shook her head. "Anyway, I saw… well thought I saw, Sam and Tino at one of the other tables. I went over there to see, and they weren't. But obviously they were."

"What does that mean?"

"Well, I thought it was them in my dream, which means my mind made me think they were. So really it was them."

"Uh."

"It was them."

"Okay."

"So we left the diner and were walking down the sidewalk when some guy ran passed me and shoved me aside. They got hit by a car and I'm pretty sure they died. We ran over to check it out, and you stole the dude's wallet."

"That's stupid. Even for me."

"Yeah, I was really pissed at you." She lost focus for a moment when she brushed away the snow that had built up on her eyelashes. "We hurried away until some guy appeared in front of us and stood completely still. We tried to back up when another appeared behind us. They wanted the wallet, so you threw it to them. Then he said 'sorry'."

"For what?"

Ellie sighed. "For what he was about to do. He nodded at the guy behind us, who then…" She shook her head in disbelief. "Fuck. Who then stabbed you. A lot. The other guy hit me on the ground and I just laid there watching you die."

"That's screwed up. Do I usually die in your dreams?"

"Yeah. Anyway, so you died again. The guy behind me pulled out a gun and cocked it. I turned around after hearing his voice. Guess."

"David."

"It's always fucking David. He shot me and the next thing I knew I was in our room screaming my lungs out."

"And scaring the hell out of me. What about you though? Do you usually die in your dreams?"

"Never. Probably why it affected me so much."

"Oh thanks."

"What?"

Riley smirked it off. "Nothing. Anything else?"

"That's it." She sighed and casually looked around when spotted a bench alongside a small grassy area with a few dead trees along it. "That's pretty. We should sit over there."

"Sit? It's cold enough walking. We'll freeze if we stop."

"You said we could talk. We're gonna talk on the bench."

"Aren't we talking now?"

"Riley, you promised me."

"Yeah, you're right. I did."

They waited at the edge of the sidewalk and watched as the beams from headlights passed by, the cars materializing as their source as they neared. As the headlights finally stopped appearing they crossed the road, brushed off the bench of snow, and sat with their arms crossed and hoods pulled tightly closed.

"Okay. I said we can talk, let's talk."

Ellie appeared distant, even a bit embarrassed. "I think they mean something… actually I know they do."

"The nightmares?"

"Yeah."

"They're just nightmares, Ellie. They don't have to mean anything."

"I know. I think they do though."

"Alright. What then?"

"Well, first off, I'm not really sure why you die in them every time. I think it just means I'm terrified of losing you."

"Aww." Riley stiffly shouldered Ellie to the side.

Ellie nudged her back, though her demeanor dropped almost instantly. "Second, and most seriously, I think it's because I… still feel guilty about what we did." She noticed Riley became uncomfortable nearly immediately from her words. "You said-"

"I know what I said. Doesn't mean I have to like it." She slowed her fidgeting and settled back to being stationary on the bench. "Okay, you feel guilty. So what?"

"I don't know, nothing really. I just want to talk it out."

Riley sighed and stared at the tree in front of them that was entirely painted white. She reluctantly nodded her head. "Fine. You want to know why I don't want to talk about it?"

"Yes! That's all I've wanted."

"Because… it's because I feel the same, alright?"

Ellie stared blankly at her. "What? Seriously?" Her voice grew more aggressive. "Is that why you always act so weird whenever I bring it up?"

"Yeah." Riley couldn't force herself to keep eye contact.

"Then why the hell couldn't you have just said so instead of getting all defensive on me? Jesus, Riley, you've made me feel really, fuck I don't know, ashamed the last few weeks because of that shit."

The quick change from casual conversation to heavy admission shocked her. "What? How?"

"Are you kidding? Because all this shit, Riley, these nightmares? They were happening to me. They terrified me almost every night and I couldn't even get my best friend to acknowledge them, like they were something to be embarrassed about. It really sucked. That's how."

"I…" Riley fumbled for words and came up empty.

"You've known that I wanted to discuss them since the very first one. Yet we couldn't because you were uncomfortable, or whatever stupid excuse."

Riley wanted to counter but knew it would've just made the situation worse. "Okay. I get it. I messed up bad."

"Yeah. You really did. Is it really that difficult for you? To talk about this kind of stuff?" She waited for an answer but received only an embarrassed look. She gave in with a sigh and continued. "You said you felt the same."

"Yeah." Riley hesitantly reentered the conversation.

"What did you mean?"

"Well, I meant that I feel guilty too." Ellie gestured for her to continue. "Because… we got out and they didn't."

"Sam and Tino."

"And fuck knows how many other orphans there."

They huddled together closely as a mild wind picked up and blew through the city. The peaceful falling snow was soon whipped into a whirlwind of dancing flakes and the fog began losing its grip and slowly dissipated as the current carried it out.

Riley picked up where she left off. "What about you? You can't ask me and then be quiet about it."

"…it's just this nagging feeling that won't leave me alone, you know? Like we should have done more. I guess."

"Like what? We did what we could. We said this before."

"I know we did. I just… I don't know. Guilt doesn't really have to be reasonable, does it?"

Riley quietly let out an emotionless chuckle. "No it doesn't." Her demeanor quickly faded. "Did you really feel ashamed?"

"Sorry I said it like that."

"But did you?"

"A bit, yeah."

"Shit, Ellie, I'm sorry. I didn't intentionally do that, I hope you know that."

"I do. I just didn't know why you were acting that way though." She reached over her shoulder and rubbed at the back of her hood. "Still don't really."

Riley sighed. "Probably owe you an explanation, huh?"

Ellie nodded her head sarcastically. "That'd be nice."

"Fine." She exhaled and settled in to a lower mood that allowed her to explain more easily. "I run… a lot. From like everything. Friends, family, homes, orphanages. Everything. Pretty sure you know that part though."

"A little. You don't talk about it much really."

"Yeah, well, there's a reason I don't. But since you want to know, it's because... I'm afraid."

Ellie eyed her with a confused look. "Of what? Staying?"

"Essentially. I've told you this before, but I've always sabotaged my foster families before they could reject me… before anything happened. Idiotic, I know."

"Okay, but what's that got to do with anything?"

"I ran, Ellie. That's what. I ran then and I ran at Gateway. I always do. I always do."

"What happened at the orphanage is a lot different than your reasons for running from your families. You can't blame yourself for that, that's stupid. And besides, you don't always run."

Riley's face showed skepticism. "What don't I run from?"

"Me..."

"That was corny."

"…not to me. Why couldn't you have just told me that back at the start of this whole thing? We tell each other everything… at least I thought we did."

"I told you, I'm not comfortable with it. Like, in the slightest. And it's not just you, I don't like telling anyone."

"I'm not just anyone though, am I?"

She was quick to counter. "No, of course not. It's just- I have my secrets, one less now, and I'm sure you have yours. It's normal. Well, at least it is for normal people."

"Couldn't resist that one, could you?"

"Nope."

Ellie rubbed both of her shoulders and shook herself, the snow falling off of her with each movement. She sat and, for a minute, took in the dance displaying itself before her.

"I don't know. I just… feel like shit, you know? It's just Sam, Tino, and David over and over again. And then there's you… that's always the worst part. If these don't stop I feel like I'm gonna go crazy or something." A puff of white escaped her as she sighed. "What about you? No dreams or anything?"

"Nope. I really don't need nightmares to remind me how I feel. My own damn head does that for me."

"Lovely. Well if you find a way to stop it then let me know. I'd love some relief."

Riley dejectedly chuckled. "Yeah me too."

Ellie looked into the sky and closed her eyes and let the snow gather on her face for just a moment before brushing it off. "We should get moving again. It actually seems to be getting colder."

"Yeah, I think I need a break from all this emotional stuff for a bit." She pushed herself off the bench, leaving behind a void of snow where the brown of the wood showed through. "That's not to say I won't listen to it. Just me personally."

"Good save." She stuck out her hands and was pulled up without thought by Riley.

"Are we good?"

"Of course."

They flashed each other a slight smile before Riley observed her surroundings. "So what now?"

"Well… I'd love to suggest we go get ourselves drunk and hopefully forget the whole thing."

"Wow, listen to you. I like the way you think."

"Joel's got a stash. I'm sure he won't mind if we replace what we drink."

"Wait, seriously?" Riley smirked in disbelief but for only a moment before dwelling on it after Ellie nodded her head in response. "Alright, yeah. Why not? Should warm us up anyway."


	33. A Proposition

33;

A noise from the living room penetrated one of Ellie's few nightmare-less nights and brought her unwillingly back to consciousness. It was around four in the morning, some time before the earliest riser of the house, Marlene, woke for her day. Ellie groaned into her pillow and then rubbed her eyes.

"You hear that?"

The lack of a response caused her to reach over and shake Riley awake but quickly found the other half of the bed empty. She rolled over in a daze, the morning still mostly dark with just a few scattered rays of light making their way over the mountains.

"Riley?"

She quickly leaned up after hearing another small noise from the other room. Her sudden movement forced her to put her palm against her temple as the night before already began taking its toll. She slid off the bed and tiptoed towards the door, cracked it open, and peered through. She sighed out of relief, but with some confusion, and walked towards the kitchen.

"What're you doing?"

Riley had one eye pressed closed and was leaning against one of the kitchen counters with a glass of water and a bottle of pills next to her. "Hey. Looks like we're in the same boat."

"Guess so." Ellie motioned towards the bottle next to her. "Are those-"

"Headache pills. Want some?"

"Need some."

"Here." She shook two pills out and passed them off. "I don't know if they're gonna do much good, but it's better than nothing."

"Well last night was fun, don't know if it was worth this though." Ellie tried to chuckle but the pain cut her off. "Ow, hurts to even laugh."

"Oh, you know it was." She tried to smirk at her but a flash of pain wiped it off her face. "Speaking of which, we should probably get Joel some more."

"We'll worry about that later. Can't even think about it right now."

"What are you doing up anyway?"

"You. I heard some noises out here." She took a swig of water and swallowed the two pills down at once. "What about you?"

"Just the hangover."

Ellie noticed an obvious pause between her question and Riley's answer. "…you sure?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Never mind." She pinched the bridge of her nose before turning around back towards the door. "I'm going back to bed. You gonna join?"

"In a minute. I want to finish this first." She raised and lowered her glass quickly.

Ellie nodded and half shut her eyes before shuffling back into room and collapsing onto the bed flat on her stomach, not bothering with any coverings. The next time she opened them the light was saturating the room and the time on the clock read about eight. She yawned and turned to face the window.

"Shit!"

Her legs flailed futilely for a second before she stopped and took a deep breath. "Oh my god, you're right. That is creepy."

Riley was wide awake staring at her as she had turned over. She only faintly smiled and said nothing.

"…really creepy. Anyway, isn't this the part where you compliment me or something?"

Riley blatantly looked her up and down. "You're okay, I guess."

"Fuck you."

Riley grinned lightly before kissing her and then sinking her head into a more comfortable spot on her pillow. "You're a swan amongst ducks. How's that?"

"Weird, but much better. How long have you been up?"

"Since we last talked."

It took a moment to remember they were last up several hours ago in the kitchen. "What, really?"

"Couldn't sleep. I had, of all things, a nightmare. Not quite crazy as yours, but one nonetheless."

"Well that's not good. What of?"

Riley sighed and scratched the back of her head. "Want to take a guess? You'd probably be right."

Ellie lay with her mouth open in thought before, disappointingly, coming up with a guess. "Are you kidding me? Something like mine?"

"Pretty much, yeah. Fun isn't it?" She laughed sarcastically. "Remember yesterday… yesterday, when I said I don't need nightmares to remind me how I feel? Well that went out the door pretty fucking fast, don't ya think? I just laid here all night, thinking and thinking. I'm exhausted."

"I bet." Ellie lowered her eyebrows as her recall of the morning slowly leaked in. "Wait. You said it was just the hangover that woke you up last night."

"I… may have lied a little."

"What the hell?"

"Relax. I was going to tell you this morning anyway. I just didn't want to before. It was gonna be this whole thing."

Ellie shrugged. "Well what was it?"

"You finally have a night without a nightmare and you want to get involved with mine? You must really be into the masochist stuff."

"Gross… god. Seriously though, just tell me."

"Alright. Well, it started with us back in the orphanage, like the night before we left. We were in the bedroom, pitch black, and all I could hear were moans from everyone around us. We started getting freaked out so we jumped out of bed and headed for the door. The closer we got the louder the moans grew, to the point where it was almost unbearable. We started to run which is when the beds started to actually follow us on their own, making that grinding noise of metal on wood as they did."

"Freaky image."

"It was. Anyway they stopped when we exited the room but immediately to our left was that idiot James standing there. We ignored him and ran towards the front door, but the bastard did the same thing as the beds and started, like, hovering after us. We ran out the door and took off down the sidewalk. As I turned around… David was standing in the doorway next to James, not doing anything. But every one of the windows I could see had the orphans banging on the glass from the inside, just screaming. The door slammed itself shut and I woke up with a terrible fucking headache."

"That's crazy. And not to take away the significance of it, but fortunately you had a really mild one. Could've been a lot worse."

"True, it could have. But you know how dreams can always make even mild emotions feel ten times more intense? Well, guilt just took over everything. It was all I could feel."

"Yeah, I'm used to that feeling."

"So…" Riley's face took on an embarrassed appearance. "I wanted to ask you something."

"…okay. Why the weirdness?"

"Because I know you're going to think I'm crazy. And… you probably wouldn't be wrong."

"Riley, just tell me."

"Okay… I think that-"

"Morning girls!" Marlene pushed her way into the room and let the light from the main room come flooding in. The combination of the brightness and her piercing voice sent a burst of pain through the girls' eyes and ears and straight to their brains. Ellie threw an arm over her eyes while Riley dug her face into the pillow.

"Breakfast will be out in a few minutes, get your butts up." Marlene focused back and forth between them in confusion. "What's going on with you two?"

Riley's voice was muffled through the pillow. "Nothing, Marlene. Just a bad headache. We'll be out soon."

"Well, okay then. But just so you know I'm sending in Aiden next. So you better be up by then."

"Oh god no. We'll get up."

Marlene let out a hearty laugh. "Thought that would do it." She left and shut the door which cut out the invading noise and light in an instant.

"Shit, I don't think I can handle going out there with all those… people making noises and whatever else they do."

"They probably have flashlights too, waiting to shine 'em in our faces."

Riley clenched her eyes again. "That hurt just thinking about it."

Ellie let her head roll to the side to face towards Riley. "What were you going to say? You said 'I think that'."

"Right. That. Well, I was going to say I think that we should maybe…perhaps… and again, you'll probably just think I'm crazy… that we should do something."

"Do something. What does that mean?"

Her tone lowered noticeably. "About the guilt."

Ellie grew annoyed. "Riley, seriously. Enough with the vagueness."

"If you want to get rid of guilt, what do you do?"

"I don't know. What?"

"You confront it, Ellie. I think maybe we should."

Ellie's stomach immediately sank and twisted upon itself. "Are you- are you seriously saying…"

"I am."

"Oh for fuck's sake, Riley, are you kidding me? You have to be. You have to. Because there's no way in hell that could you think that going back there is a good idea."

"…kind of. But think about it. If we did this, we could relax for the rest of our lives. No more guilt, no more 'what ifs,' and no more nightmares. It would work."

"Okay first off, we don't know it would work. Secondly, I've had these nightmares for almost a month, Riley. A month. And nothing. Now you get one and all of a sudden we have to do something about it. How the hell is that fair? Seriously?" Her voice started to crack.

"Just because I haven't been having nightmares doesn't mean that this shit doesn't affect me. I told you this already. And yeah, maybe having one myself pushed me over the edge. I don't know, I really don't." Her emotions were getting the better of her so she stopped herself, took a deep breath, and slowed down. "What I do know, is that I'm really tired of this. Ever since we left. We could stop this. All of it."

Ellie was nearly paralyzed from the battle of conflicting ideas and emotions fighting each other in her head. "I don't know… What, so we just show up and say, 'Hey David, remember us? We'd like you to turn yourself in now.'?"

"Well no, not exactly. I'm sure if we wanted to we could come up with something. I don't know what that would be, but we could. Look, I know this is insane, but I just don't want to let this go on. It sucks having that feeling constantly clinging to the back of your head."

"You don't think I know that? And you're right, this is insane. I don't…" Her tone had grown saturated with sadness and doubt. "I can't talk about this right now."

"But we ca-"

"...Riley."

"Okay, just… think about it. That's all."

Riley felt sick whenever Ellie was upset, especially when she could see it so painfully obviously in her eyes. She softened her tone as much as she could. "Hey. I know I'm dropping a lot on you, and I'm really sorry. I just think this could be important. For both of us."

"Yeah." Ellie spoke with no more than a breath.

Riley reached over and gently tucked the hair over Ellie's face behind her ear. "I love you."

"...I love you too."

She pulled Ellie into a hug and rested her head over her shoulder, Ellie doing the same. They deeply fell into it, each desperately needing the other's comfort at that moment. Only if necessary would they dare to split which, unfortunately to them, came too quickly and in the form of Aiden. He knocked on the door and pushed his way in under orders from the woman out in the kitchen.

"So I was told I could do anything to get you up if you weren't by now." He smiled with a devilish inflection. "And I will."

Ellie groaned as she separated from Riley and threw her head back. "Oh my god, Aiden. Not now. You're really annoying, you know that?"

"Doesn't bother me."

"Would it bother you if I told your mom what I saw you doing last night?"

Aiden immediately stared at her wide-eyed and stayed completely silent.

"Yeah that's right."

"Okay, okay, I'll go. You won't say anything, right?"

"Get out."

"Going!" He turned on his heels and speed walked out through the door.

She looked back over at Riley who had her eyebrows raised and mouth agape.

"Well now you have to tell me."

Ellie shook her head and let her head fall back against the pillow. "It was a bluff."

"Really? That was lucky."

"Yeah it was. Though I am kind of curious now what he was doing."

"Me too." Riley chuckled before quieting her voice once again. "Look, we can talk about all this later… or not at all. But for now let's get some food."

They both sluggishly and painfully followed the smell of bacon out through their bedroom door and into the kitchen where Marlene had a pan of it frying. Aiden watched them carefully as they walked their way to the table and took a seat. He quickly turned his attention back to the TV when Ellie looked over at him.

"I bet he'll be nervous around me now." Ellie spoke in a whispered voice as to not get Marlene involved.

"He's fine. He could use some toughening up anyway."

"That sounds familiar."

"Yeah?" Riley didn't think into it, choosing instead to focus on the food sitting on a plate now in front of her.

"It was our first night on our own after the whole… thing. We were walking on that dark road when you spotted the old bridge and shouted that you saw it. Scared the hell out of me." She exhaled and started tapping the table involuntarily. "I know I hated it at the time, but looking back at it now… it seems kind of nice. Just the two of us."

"Getting all nostalgic? You know we didn't exactly choose to be out there that night. In the middle of nowhere."

"I know, you don't have to remind me. I had enough of that this morning."

"Right. Sorry."

After finishing up with their unusual breakfast, their morning proceeded per the norm. They threw on some heavy coats and their boots and headed out to throw their dependency at strangers.

The day was long, especially for Ellie. The exceedingly slow crawling sun across the sky gave her an excessive amount of time to think, to dwell. Riley's words were relentless on her through the entire day. Every moment of passing time that wasn't occupied by the words of a passerby or the sound of metal against metal was spent questioning. The combination of what Ellie found to be the emotional and logical sides of what Riley was proposing were irreconcilable in coming to a decision.

My butts, though absent most of the day, came rolling in just around dusk and brought with them a chill in the air. Ellie brushed herself off of dirt and the remnants of the snowfall from the day before, stashed what scraps she made, and started walking. The farther she walked along the street the more anxious she became; reaching the kitchen with a calm demeanor she realized would be impossible. She was greeted with a warm breeze and the familiar smell of soup as she pushed her way through the door. The line of people extended just beyond the first turn of the building along the inner wall.

Riley jumped up and joined Ellie in line. They kept quiet while waiting partly because it was hard to talk while crowded in by others who freely spoke as loudly as they wished, and partly because they both knew the question hanging over them.

Ellie always appreciated the friendliness of the volunteers behind the serving bar. They always had a smile and did their best to humanize each person they served, something she lacked severely in the outside world. They did as well this time for her, but instead of thanking them back as she normally would, she could only return a strained nod and brief eye contact.

The girls took their spot at one of the tables near front corner of the building and sat at the two chairs nearest its edge. They took whatever privacy they could get when they came here, not being surrounded on both sides was as close as they could get to that.

"So, how'd it go?" Riley finally felt free to speak after distancing themselves from as much noise as they could.

"Fine."

"That's good."

"Well… except for the usual assholes who've apparently made it their life's work to make me miserable for just a couple of minutes every day."

"I had surprisingly few of those today. Most just called me useless."

"Lazy and stupid here." Ellie rolled her eyes in annoyance and took her first sip of the soup and pasta bowl.

They spent the next ten minutes in an awkward quietness while making their way through the food in front of them. Riley spent the time observing the characters around her, coming to the oft-reached conclusion that there was no uniform pattern to the people sitting and eating with them that she would have expected the first time she was here. They were of all ages ranging from fourteen to eighty. Black, white, Asian, Hispanic; with hardship, everyone was a target.

Ellie breathed out a sigh and pushed against the tension. "So I've been thinking. A lot. The entire day, actually. And, as much as I know how stupid it is, I… I don't think you're wrong."

Riley raised her eyebrows in surprise. "You mean about-"

"Yeah. But that doesn't mean I'm all in yet, because there's some pretty fucking big things we need to talk about first."

"Of course." A sympathetic look washed over her face. "You sure?"

Ellie scoffed as obviously as she could. "No."


	34. Chapter 34

34;

"So what's the plan then, huh? We just stroll on in?"

"Like I said before, obviously not. At least not without some sort of plan."

The apartment was emptied out of the other roommates for several hours some mornings, the time of which they took for their discussion this morning. They sat on the couch and chair opposite of each other in the great room.

"You mean the plan of going back to that… place that we escaped from." Ellie spoke sharply in a disgruntled manner.

"You're the one who okayed it last night. If you changed your mind, we won't. Really." Riley looked back over at Ellie who simply kept quiet and averted her gaze. "We could… get in by sneaking. Not like we haven't done it before."

"How about we discuss what the hell we're going to do once we get there, not how to get in."

"Alright, okay. We could probably, I don't know, do… something." She looked over at Ellie out of the corner of her eye.

"No keep going. It sounds like you're getting somewhere."

"I am. I'm just curious as to what you're thinking first."

"Right." She sighed and sunk further into her chair. "We're really doing this, huh?"

"You know we don't have to."

"I know. But I do think you're right, sort of." Ellie let her head fall backward in thought and stared beyond the ceiling. She spoke slowly, thinking of each word just before saying them. "So, if we do do this, I think we should try what we almost did before. Get some evidence."

"You mean the notebook page."

"Yeah." She watched as Riley rested her head against her palm and sighed. "What?"

"I still don't know how it happened. I had that fucking page then… nothing. Gone."

Ellie shrugged. "Doesn't really matter now, does it?"

"I guess not. But if I hadn't of lost it, or whatever happened, we wouldn't be talking about this right now. Who the hell knows what we'd be doing."

Ellie got up from the chair and fell against Riley on the couch. "Don't worry about it. It doesn't matter."

"What if we can't find anything?"

"We'll figure it out if it comes to that." A tinge of frustration crept into her voice. "Any other doubts that, for some reason, I'm helping you with?"

"Yeah, I know. Sorry." Riley nodded her head in agreement with herself. "We can do this."

Ellie rested her head on the couch's arm and put one leg against the ground and the other across Riley's lap. "So, how do we do it?"

"Well, like I said, sneaking in at night doesn't seem like a bad way to go."

"I guess. But what if everything is locked?"

"Break a window then."

"And let everyone know we're there?"

Riley grunted in defeat. "By all means, go ahead. You seem to have an idea."

"I can criticize even if I didn't have one. But… I may just happen to."

"Shoot."

"What if we go in as obviously as possible? We walk up, tell him we were wrong and that we want to come back."

"Would that work? And why would we even do that?"

"No idea if it would work. But if it would, we would have free roam inside. That's why." Riley had a look of distance in her eyes. "What is it this time?"

"Listen to us. We're talking about some spy shit here, or something."

"And again you're the one with the doubts."

"Not really. It's just… different now that we're talking about it. I still want to do it, don't get me wrong, we just need to make sure we're gonna do this right."

"I think so too. But it kind of sounds like you're saying my way's not right."

"I don't know. It sounds fine."

Ellie rolled her eyes. "Okay, well… let's say we go with that. What next?"

"We do what you said, find a notebook to prove what he's doing. Or some documents or something."

"And if we can't find anything?"

"Then we get the hell out of there. He's not going to be careless like before, not after what we did." Riley sighed again. "Almost did. If he doesn't want something found, it'll probably stay that way."

"At least we'll have tried then."

"Yeah." She finished it there and loosened her nerves. "This doesn't feel real, you know? We're just sitting here all casually in our shitty little apartment talking about trying to take down David. Weird as hell."

"Yeah I feel the same."

Riley rested her head against her right hand, keeping Ellie visible to her left. "So what do we do now?"

"I don't know." Ellie emptily scoffed. "We just do it, I guess."

"Okay, but would it be alright with you if I built on your amazing plan so far?"

"Fuck you, just say it."

"When we go, we'll be gone, what, a couple of days?" Ellie shrugged, still on her back. "Let's say a few. We won't need to bring anything really, just what we'd be wearing would be enough. And we'd have to behave like nothing is wrong."

"Assuming of course he'd let us back in."

"True, but I think that he'd have to. He may hate us, but he's still an employee of the state, right?"

Ellie laughed condescendingly. "An employee of the state?"

"You're an asshole. I'm trying to say it would be, like, his job to take us in regardless."

"Maybe?"

"You're not helping. Anyway, when we're on our own inside, we'd just search a couple places. Like the desk and basement. If there, great. If not, leave."

"You make it sound pretty simple."

Riley let her head fall backwards and stared at the ceiling. "Well, the plan itself is. Actually doing it might be different."

"Yeah might be." Her sarcasm was clear. "How are we getting there by the way? Because there's no way in hell I'm walking between two cities again."

"Oh come on, we had some fun. You know it."

Ellie rolled her head back and forth to draw out her response. "It was alright. Made bearable by you of course."

Riley flashed a familiar crooked smile. "I guess we could… take a taxi. Or a bus."

"Bus will be cheaper."

They sat in silence for several minutes after Ellie's last statement, both of them knowing that that was the last thing they really needed to figure out, however mundane an ending to such a serious conversation.

The day was early and the apartment was as quiet as it would ever get. Cars outside propagated their road noise through the window, the AC unit puttered as it attempted to spit out hot air, the refrigerator hummed in the kitchen, footsteps rapped their way across the floor in the above apartment. Every little noise was a surreal experience unto its own despite how common they may were.

Riley was startled out of her experience by a noise unlike the others with its dynamic range, beautiful in its uniqueness.

"We should sleep on it for a few days. See how we feel then."

"Move." Riley forced Ellie onto her side and fit herself in between her and the couch's back. She put her right arm tightly around Ellie and let out a huge yawn as she did. "Let's just lay here forever. Forget about everything else."

Ellie smiled and relaxed into the embrace. "Fine with me."

The blanket of butts that seemed to perpetually hover over the city cast a lethargically gray atmosphere over them. That, combined with a quiet empty apartment, afforded them some much needed sleep.

The time was near midday when Ellie was eventually awoken from a car horn on the street below. She fought to open her eyes when she felt the arm still around her and then sluggishly twisted over to her other side. She started at her nose and began to slowly look over every detail of Riley's face.

As she did she could feel the doubt, the confusion, the anxiety, the worry, all of it fade away as though they were trivial. She exuded an aura that was wholly calming and made it seem as if everything would be okay. And though she knew that their lives were far from ideal, she had her.

And above that, there was a feeling weighing heavily on her that she's never known before… she actually needed someone. She needed her.

That same feeling strongly urged her to close the small gap between their faces and gently kiss the still sleeping girl. Though light, it was enough to pull her from her sleep.

Riley slowly opened her eyes and looked back at the face just inches from her own. Confusion gave way to contentment. "Hey… What was that for?"

"No reason. I just really love you."

"I love you too." A tired smile found its way to Riley's face. "You're really cute when you're like this."

"Like what?"

"This. All mushy and sweet. It's gross and I love it."

Ellie rolled her eyes as Riley returned the kiss and several more before the two rested their heads together.

"Sorry for waking you."

Riley quietly chuckled at the absurdity. "Why? You can sleeping beauty me any time you want."

Ellie stared at her with a smirk. "Yeah?" She pushed herself up and threw her leg over Riley, letting her long hair hang down between them. "Well in that case…"

Riley grinned back at the girl above her and wrapped her arms around her waist to pull her down on top of her.

Before long the coldness of the room became of no issue, even as layers were shed, and the incessant clamor from the surrounding city was drowned out by the produced sounds of their own. The world and its difficulties melted away into insignificance as the two tirelessly enjoyed each other.

After a modest length of time, though unreasonably short to them, a rapping on the door echoed throughout the apartment.

Riley quickly glanced up at the door and then let her head fall in disbelief and frustration. "You have to be kidding me."

"Finish later?"

"Yeah… we're so not done."

Ellie rolled sideways and let her feet fall to the floor with an overly dramatic groan. She quickly gathered up the chaotically scattered garments and threw on her own, waiting for Riley to do the same before unwillingly staggering to the door. She peered out and then closed it before sliding the chained metal nub through its rail. With the lock undone the door flung open and Marlene and Aiden walked their way through it with bags in each hand.

Ellie trudged back to the couch and fell against Riley while Marlene and Aiden dropped their stashes onto the counters in the kitchen and began putting their contents away.

"Hi girls."

"Hey." Both responded with the same monotone voice.

"Well don't be too excited to see us."

Riley rolled her eyes at Ellie who took over speaking. "Just… tired. How'd it go?"

"Terrible." Aiden didn't hesitate to respond.

"Ignore him. He just got bored. It went well actually. Got most of the food we need for the week. Speaking of which, I'll need your guys' cut in the next few days."

"We'll get it to you soon." Ellie turned to face Riley again and dropped her voice. "Listen, I was serious about what I said before. About sleeping on it."

Riley's brow raised and was followed immediately by her entire face falling flat in realization. "You switch subjects really fast, you know that? One second we're having some fun and the next we're back about the orphanage." Ellie raised her own brow in expectation of a response. "Yeah, I know."

Ellie nodded and rested her head on Riley's shoulder for a minute before sticking her hand out and flapping it up and down in the direction of the sofa table. "Remote."

Riley groaned. "You're so damn lazy." She dropped the remote onto Ellie's lap instead of handing it to her.

Marlene and Aiden soon joined them after finishing with their work in the kitchen. Marlene sat on the other half of the couch not occupied by the girls and Aiden on the chair that Joel usually settled himself into. Ellie flipped through the channels until Marlene stopped her at a show that she normally watched religiously. For the next hour the four of them sat in silence watching some reality show. Neither Riley nor Ellie had any interest in what was happening, but it was a distraction all the same.

A week had passed without so much of a mention as to their conversation that they had between them in the empty apartment, but it was obvious in their talks that they were avoiding it. The days seemed like they were getting shorter and shorter, bringing the time in which they felt they needed to decide closer and closer. Unfortunately for Ellie that time came forcibly.

It was again shortly after midnight when she woke from a nightmare. The room was dark but Riley knew immediately what happened when Ellie laid against her breathing faster than normal. She put an arm around her without either saying a word.

The nightmare wasn't unlike her previous; the way it played out was always slightly different, but the message always the same.

"Fuck it." Ellie had a crack in her voice causing her to sound exhausted. "We're doing it."

"…you sure?"

"Yes." Ellie nodded and curled up into a mass against Riley.

"Okay."


	35. Chapter 35

35;

The man behind the glass was wearing a white dress shirt with a formal black vest layered over it. A red tie hung from his neck as did a badge that featured his picture and some other identifying features about him. His nametag read 'Heath H.' and the company name 'Trans-U-port' below that.

He slid two pieces of paper through the small gap of the glass barrier and spoke through the pattern of five small holes just above that.

"Two sharp."

"Yeah I know."

He gave her an annoyed look before turning around and disappearing into the backroom where he was stationed before Riley had knocked on the glass.

"Oh yeah, no, you're welcome. Don't worry about saying anything. Dick."

She stashed the pieces of paper into her pocket and made the mildly warmer trek back towards the middle of the city. She walked past the obese lady in her smoked filled glass den and climbed the two flights of dim, grimy stairs back to the apartment.

Ellie went to lean against to the kitchen counter after opening the door for her. "Well?"

Riley walked up next to her with her hand in her pocket then pulled it out and dropped the two tickets onto the counter.

"That them?"

"Yep."

"…fuck. Okay."

"Cold feet?"

"Just a bit. How could I not?" Ellie shuffled back and forth a bit in discomfort. "When?"

"Tomorrow at two."

"That soon, huh?"

"Yeah, that soon. Still got tonight to get out of it."

"…I'm good."

"Sure? You're a little fidgety."

"I know. But I'm fine. I am."

"Okay."

"You?"

Riley exhaled while slowly nodding her head. "A little on edge, sure. But overall okay."

"Yeah…" Ellie rubbed the back of her neck. "Anyway, we've only got a day. Should we, I don't know, get ready or something?"

"Like how? We're only going to be there for a few days."

"Clothing? Food? Stuff like that?"

"Well, we can if you want. But I don't think we need to."

Ellie stood still but tapped her foot repeatedly. "What about… like mace or something?"

Riley scoffed. "We never did get any did we? Probably would've been useful a month ago."

"Yeah no shit. Might as well now, right?"

Riley agreed and soon they were both out the door, leaving the apartment unusually empty. The staircase seemed to have more blotches and stains on it than usual, but the dim lighting helped disguise them. They carefully talked as they descended its steps.

"So, where are you planning to get this stuff?"

"I don't know yet. I was gonna ask the dragon lady."

Riley shot her a confused glance before having to quickly turn back forward to watch her step. "Dragon lady?"

"Yeah. Woman at the entrance."

"Her?"

"Well, a really fat dragon, I guess, but still a dragon."

"Uh huh, and why is she the dragon lady?"

Ellie smirked at unexpected conversation. "Because, she's always down there in her little cave, just smoking up the place. You know, like a dragon would if it breathed smoke."

"Bit of a stretch, don't ya think?"

"Would I be calling her the dragon lady if I thought it was a stretch?"

"Uh…"

"That's what I thought. Shut up."

Riley smirked back. "Alright, chill. Guess I hit a bit of a sore spot there."

They reached the bottom of stairs and stopped in front of the glass barrier that provided them safety from the dragon. The woman inside was again watching TV towards the back corner of the room under a dim light and sitting in her few sizes too small chair. Ellie knocked on the glass which caused her to slowly spin around and finally waddle her way to the glass.

"Hey, um… what's your name again?" Ellie stuck out an open palm but received only silence from the other side of the glass. "Okay, right, well… do you know a place that sells, like, pepper spray or mace?"

The woman raised her lip a bit, forcing the cigarette to slightly droop. Her voice, if it was even possible, seemed even hoarser and lower than the last time they spoke.

"And why the hell would you want to know that?"

"Really? Have you seen this place?"

The woman stared Ellie down for a moment before the faintest trace of a smile tugged at the edges of her mouth. "Hoplophile Aisle."

Riley burst out with a laugh. "The fuck is that?"

Ellie immediately punched her in the arm and turned back toward the woman. "…that's a good question, actually." Her admission received her a retaliation punch.

"Store that sells guns and stuff like that. They'll probably have a spray there." She could hardly finish a sentence with hacking up a lung or getting caught in a coughing fit. She cleared her throat and pulled a napkin from a pocket and wiped her mouth. "Take a left out of here and keep going until you hit Carver."

She explained the route in more detail as the girls semi-listened, splitting their attention between the directions and the overall experience of seeing this woman speak. Her throat, with its multiple layers, flapped as she talked; her skin was dirty and dry, as was her hair; and the smoke escaping her lips threatened to break through the glass as the room neared its saturation point.

They thanked her and pushed their way through the doors and into the cold, but fresh, air and headed left.

"Gross."

"So gross."

"If I ever get like that just kill me."

They continued along the main road until they spotted their first marker and turned right. They followed the next few steps in their list of directions and eventually ended up at the doorstep of a surprisingly kempt store. The sign above the door read exactly as the dragon lady had said. They headed inside but were almost immediately ushered back out by one of the employees.

"Hold on, you two can't be in here. You need to get going."

"Relax, we're both eighteen."

He eyed them up and down with skepticism. "You look younger than that. Got any ID's on you?"

"No. Listen, we're just here for some pepper spray. That's it."

The man thought it over for a moment before nodding his head. "Alright, spray we have. Sorry about that. We're not in the best part of town and we've been having issues with some of these kids lately."

He led them over to an aisle with a small section stashed with rows of the stuff. He described the differences between them including their potencies and constituents. Ellie picked out a rather small pocket sized canister.

"What about this one?"

"That one there is a doozy, it's called 'Tiger's Blood'. It's small so it'll easily fit in a purse… or I guess just your pockets. The concentration ratio of pepper to water is also a bit higher than most of the other ones here."

"So it's strong?"

"Very."

"Cool." She turned toward Riley and passed her the little bullet shaped spray. "What do you think?"

Riley looked it over and shook it for no other reason than to feign like she knew anything about the stuff. "He says it's strong. Good enough for me."

"It's very easy to use." The man interjected to try and convince them further. "You rotate the tab at the top until it lines up with the other mark and then just push down. It'll spray out about ten feet, not quite."

"Shake it first?"

"Doesn't matter."

Ellie paused for a moment to consider the other options but gave them no real thought. "Alright."

She handed it to the man who then led them to the counter before letting them out with their small canister. They left the store and headed back towards the apartment but stopped a little over halfway.

"Hey." Riley nudged Ellie who returned an annoyed look. "We should test it."

"On you? Sure, stand over there."

"Funny..." She looked around and pointed to their right. "How about that wall?"

"A wall? Come on, that's not as fun."

"Just do it."

Ellie shrugged and pulled out the spray and twisted the little tab on top. She outstretched her arm towards the wall and turned her head away.

"Ready?"

"Go."

Ellie squeezed the tab and held it for just a second before easing off. The orange liquid came streaming out freely and danced as it traversed its arcing trajectory. She palmed the canister and stood still looking at the small spot of orange against the brick wall.

"I don't smell-" Her eyes widened and then shut quickly as she backed up as fast as possible. "Oh my god!"

Riley followed right behind her but had idled too long in the target area and started coughing.

"Come on, keep moving!" They hurried down the sidewalk laughing and coughing until they got out of range of the orange mist. "Strong enough?"

"Yeah, I would say so. Geez."

"Make sure that thing is locked."

Ellie looked back into her hand and fingered the tab back and forth to make sure it was. "Done. Here, you take it."

"Why?"

"Because I fidget with things. And I know I would accidentally set that thing off."

"That's true. Alright, give it."

Riley stashed the spray and then the two finished their second half of the walk back to the apartment. They walked by the obese lady, who was preoccupied by a show, and back to the apartment which was now occupied again.

"Hi girls." Marlene was predictable, almost never saying anything different when greeting them.

Ellie reciprocated and turned to whisper at Riley. "Probably should mention… you know."

Riley motioned toward Marlene to give her the go ahead.

"Hey, Marlene. We need to tell you something real quick."

She twisted her head away from the TV without a word and looked on in interest.

"Riley and I are gonna be gone for just a few days starting tomorrow. We're not sure exactly how long. Maybe a few, maybe more."

"Okay… where are you going?"

Ellie reactively glanced toward Riley who took over the answer. "Uh, just a trip out of town."

Marlene lowered her head and raised her brow slightly. "You don't have to tell me. But whatever it is, I hope you have fun."

"…yeah. Well that's it I guess."

"Okay." She sympathetically smiled at them and turned her attention back to her show.

The rest of the day felt much more tense even than it had been for the past couple weeks. Every hour, every minute, that ticked away they felt themselves becoming more and more anxious. Night was of no relief, rather worse as they realized it was the last time they'd sleep in their own bed for a few days.

Blackness had settled over the city with the moon as a sliver high above. A faint yellow light was creeping from the gap underneath their bedroom door and the somewhat comforting familiar pattern of black and white shadows spread itself across the room.

Ellie had her head laid on Riley's chest listening to her heartbeat, Riley herself lying on her back with a hand on Ellie's shoulder. They both remained completely quiet as they looked out at the room but stayed completely within their thoughts.

"How you feeling?" Riley broke the silence first but just barely in volume. Ellie grunted quietly in reply. "That doesn't count."

"I don't know. I guess I'm… nervous obviously. But at the same time I don't really care. It's confusing."

"Weird."

"Kind of. Like I just want it over with or something."

"I get that. And it will be soon." They were silent again for a few minutes longer while simply listening to the ambiance. "We need to go to sleep. Get as much rest as we can for tomorrow."

"I'm fine like this."

"If you say so."

A rare eight hours had passed, the clock showing almost ten in the morning. Riley was the first awake and stretched as she opened her eyes. Ellie had rolled over to the other side of the bed sometime in the night, sleeping half in and half out of the covers. Riley reached over and gently nudged her her back and forth until a hand rose and attempted to swat her away.

"I know it sucks, but we should get up."

Ellie groaned as a response which prompted Riley to get up without her. She slid out of bed and groggily headed to the kitchen to make them some simple breakfast, Ellie following soon after to get her share. They sat at the couch and ate their breakfast as a series of cartoons played from the television. A simple morning in contrast to their planned day, the rest of which they spent preparing themselves mentally.

The time rolled past noon and the two were dressed and had packed their bags with some basic items to last for just a few days. Clothing, of which Ellie convinced Riley to bring some, some food, a little money, and their tickets among them.

They spent the next hour alternating between talking about everything and pacing through the apartment, both seeming appropriate. As the time hit exactly one they decided to leave in order to ensure they wouldn't be late.

Riley took a deep breath and heavily exhaled in hopes that it would drag the nerves out of her with it. "Ready?"

"Maybe."

"Probably the most we'll ever be."

"Yeah..."

They shut the door behind them and walked back to the same spot in the city Riley was at just the morning before. The station was simple square building with, seemingly, a single employee manning it. Just outside its door was a narrow protruding covered sitting area full with benches lined side by side and back to back.

The girls sat at an empty one near the center since most of the others were already occupied by just one or two people. They sat restlessly waiting out the time. Riley was tapping her foot incessantly while Ellie was picking at her fingers.

Buses came and went every five to ten minutes. A knot would form in their stomachs for the length of time it took to spot the bus until being able to read the bus' number. Each differing number from their own was a momentary relief. However, just five minutes prior to the inevitable two o'clock, the dreaded number came pulling in and stopped at the curb just next to them.

Ellie started breathing quicker as she watched the people around them stand up and slowly start funneling into the bus. A hand on her shoulder slowed her breathing slightly.

"Last chance."

Ellie stood up without a word, nodded, and walked toward the door of the bus. The driver took the tickets before they walked through the narrow hallway of the tinted cabin and took two seats near the back. The bus soon jerked from its idle position with a roar and pulled away from the station.

Ellie started picking at her fingers even worse than before as the buildings became less familiar and the skyscrapers of the city started shrinking in size. Riley reached over and entwined them with her own hoping it would help.

"Relax. You're a mess."

"How are you not?" Her voice was quiet yet panicked. "We're going back to this fucking place."

Riley stared her in the eyes. "Because we know what we're doing and how to do it. We know where to look and how to behave. And sure I'm nervous, how the hell would I not be? But we've been over this so many times that I'm just… confident that we got this. We do."

"I know we have, but still…"

"Hey. We've got each other. We'll be okay."

Ellie smiled with minimal assuredness to it before turning back forward and rested her head against the headrest.

The asphalt jungle they've accustomed themselves to living in soon began giving way to nature. The bumps in the road made it hard to get rest, whereas the pervading thoughts made it impossible, at least for Ellie.

She nudged Riley awake after some buildings started reappearing to the sides of the bus rather than the trees and grass she had been mesmerized by for the last few hours. They soon began recognizing familiar sights as they neared their stopping point. Ellie had again started messing with her fingers which caused Riley, again, to reach over and stop her.

The bus' brakes squeeled as it jerked to a hard stop outside of an equally small building as the one they left from, the seating arrangement outside of it similar as well. They waited for the others to finish flowing out before following. They stepped out into a slightly cooler air, the lack of tall buildings and car exhaust contributing to that difference.

They stood at the edge of the sidewalk and simply looked around in disbelief.

"We're here."

"Yeah… we really are, aren't we? Hate to ask, but which direction?"

"We're just a bit east."

They took each other's hand in their own, seizing whatever comfort they could get, and walked west along the main road. They soon started walking past familiar buildings before eventually ending up at a street with which they have a strong history.

"Never thought I'd see these stores again."

"Me neither. We'll have time later to check 'em out if you want."

"Really? I don't plan on spending a second longer here than we need to."

They continued past the storefront street and within a mile spotted a red brick building with a large white wooden sign sticking out of the ground in front of it. It looked no different than how they remembered before they left.

Ellie froze up and clenched the hand in hers tightly. "Shit, shit, shit. Oh fuck. Maybe this was a bad idea, Riley."

"Stop. Breathe."

She tried but her rapidly beating heart caused her breaths to escape staggered.

"Look at me. Ellie. Come on." She managed to get the girl to stop her eyes from darting around and focus in on her. "You know how much I love you, right?"

Ellie meekly nodded.

"And you know that we'll be together in there. And that we'll be fine as long as we stick to the plan." She sighed before continuing with the less comforting bit. "But I need to rely on you right now. I need you to breath out whatever nerves you can and get yourself under control. Can you do that?"

"Yes."

"You sure?"

Ellie took a steadier deep breath. "Yeah."

"We've been over our lines plenty. You'll be fine. We've got this, right?"

"Right..."

"I'm gonna need more than that. Right?"

"Right."

"Fucking right. Come on."

They walked across the street, up the pathway, passed the white wooden sign, and up to the large looming wooden door. They stopped on the porch and turned to each other, each doing their best to remain calm.

Riley glanced at the door handle and back at Ellie. "Ready?"

"Wait."

"What?"

Ellie hesitated for a moment before wrapping her arms around Riley and pulling her into a tight desperate hug, burying her face into the side of the girl's neck. She stayed frozen for some time until she eventually eased up on her grip and fell away.

Riley smiled nervously. "Better?"

"A little."

"Good." Riley, too, hesitated before reaching forward and putting a hand on the handle. She took a heavy breath, turned to face Ellie one last time, and pushed it open.


	36. Chapter 36

36;

As with the outside, the interior was exactly as how they remembered it. Though being in a familiar place didn't come close to settling any nerves.

Ellie began breathing quickly again after entering the dreaded building and Riley, too, had a racing pulse that was getting stronger and faster with each step away from the entrance.

As they approached the officer door they looked at each other without a word, silently agreed, and stepped past its threshold into visibility.

They walked single file into the office and stopped in front of the wooden desk they've come to fear seeing again. It was just as messy as they remembered, littered with scattered papers and other random items. Though what lay behind it set them at ease, if only for a moment. An empty chair.

Ellie eyed the room up and down already on the search for anything. "Do we just wait here or what?"

"Shit, I don't know."

Riley nervously took a couple steps towards the door before being forced to take an awkward half-step backwards. But with that step her heart stopped and her stomach sank.

A tall man in a rather casual outfit and a head full of gray and black hair took a couple of steps into the office, his face deep into a clipboard he was carrying with him. He realized that he wasn't paying attention and almost knocked into someone as he entered.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Excuse-" He took his eyes off the board and turned them upwards to see something he had never expected to see again, his eyebrows rising as high as they could go in recognition. "Riley…Ellie…"

"You remember us..."

"Of course. How could I not? It's not every day I get decried as to being a… well, I'm sure you remember as well as I do." He dropped his board onto his desk and walked around it and sat in his chair. He placed his hands onto it and leaned forward. "Speaking of which, I would like you two to leave. Immediately. You have no business being here."

"David, please hear us out. We just want to talk."

"And why would I want to hear what you have to say? Especially after what you already have?"

"Because we're here to apologize."

An expression of interest crossed his face. He paused for a moment, sighed, and leaned back against his chair. He crossed his arms and waited for them to continue. "I'm listening."

As part of their plan Riley was going to speak first. She knew her lines and tried to appear and sound as sincere as her nerves would allow.

"We've been on our own for quite a while now and recently things have started to get bad for us. Like really bad, actually. So… we started talking about why we left in the first place... and we came to the realization that we were wrong. It was stupid to leave. I was just angry is all."

"About?"

Riley tried to breathe out her tension. Every word from David, even a single one, sent a twinge of pain through her entire body.

"Keeping me in the basement. I may still not agree with what you did, but that's not to say it wasn't warranted. And to be honest, I was kind of a bitch."

David scrutinized her and her words, his face about as emotionally void as possible. He turned to Ellie quickly. "Ellie, what about you? Were you angry?"

The question not being a part of the plan was briefly disorienting. "I... yes. Riley is my best friend. If something upsets her, it upsets me."

"I see. But I doubt the main reason you left with Riley was because she was upset. You yourself said some pretty horrid things before leaving. Rather specific things. Care to explain them away?"

"I did, you're right. Like we said, we talked about everything, and the truth is we don't know what we saw that night. Considering what you did to Riley was disciplinary, we can only assume it was the same for Tino... even though we still don't agree. In the slightest. But regardless, we should've talked to you first before doing and saying what we did."

"Yes. I agree with that." His eyes flickered between the both of them. "I assume you're not here just to apologize though. Why are you here?"

Riley took over again for the response. "Because we're tired. We can't do it anymore. We're still living on the streets and we barely make enough money to even feed ourselves. We wanted to try and stick it out, to see if we could make it. But it's obvious we can't."

"Please. We really need somewhere to sleep that isn't an alley or a bench, and food that isn't other peoples' leftovers." Ellie tried to add in an emotional factor, something that she had no idea if he would be able to respond to.

David remained quiet for a minute and mulled it over, the silence setting both girls on edge. "So, let me get this straight. After these many months on your own, a position you put yourselves in mind you, you've come back to make amends and request to be a part of the orphanage again? Is that about right?"

Their hearts were beating in their ears by this point. They nodded their heads at his question and anxiously waited for his decision. The decision that ultimately decided if their ride back would come to an end almost instantly or not.

A smile that would've been nearly impossible to force after such a tense conversation graced his face. "Fine. I'll give you a second chance. What kind of caretaker would I be if I denied orphans in need? But if you start any trouble, any at all, know that I won't hesitate to send you back out onto the street."

The girls breathed a momentary sigh of relief and forced their own half-smiles, though less successfully as his. "Understood. And thank you. We really appreciate it."

"Of course." He eyed their backpacks. "Is that all you have?"

"It is."

He nodded, saying nothing more on the matter. "I imagine you two are exhausted."

"Beyond."

David dug into his pile of papers and then shifted his search into the drawer in his desk. He pulled out a small binder and flipped it open in front of them. "Your original beds have long since been reassigned. I can put you in… 24 for now." He shut it and looked back up at them. "Anything else?"

"You've already helped a ton by giving us another chance, we don't need anything else. Thank you again."

"You're welcome." The girls immediately took the opportunity to hustle out of his office and toward the bed area but were stopped just before they could exit the room. "Welcome back to Gateway. Please try and behave yourselves."

The two nodded and again flashed him painfully forced smiles. Riley led the freckled girl out and into the room across from the office. They passed the doorway and cut to the side and out of David' view.

Ellie leaned against the inside wall with her hands over the edges of her face trying to slow her breathing. Riley chose to slide her hands through her hair as a stress reliever. After composing herself again she let out an empty scoff of disbelief.

"Holy shit." She let her head fall back against the wall and tilted it toward Ellie. "You alright?"

"You think he bought it?"

"I doubt it."

Ellie shook her head. "What about the whole 'behave yourselves' thing? The way he said it was… off."

Riley moved away from the door and next to Ellie to avoid being overheard. "The way he says everything is 'off' because he's a fucking psychopath."

"True." She glanced over at the door. "Come on, let's move away from here."

They walked, once again after months, through a row of beds to their new assigned number: bed 24. Ellie fell on it like a stone and landed flat on her stomach. Riley sat herself on the edge with her feet hanging over the side and kept watch on the door.

Apart from having a new number, the bedroom changed little. Some of the old gray lockers were beginning to be replaced by newer beige ones and the window coverings seem to have been replaced with a lighter fabric as well.

Riley spoke without breaking her view of the door. "You tired?"

"Incredibly. I've gotten no sleep the last couple of nights. Not even on the bus."

"Then just rest here for a bit. I'll walk around and figure out the place."

"…okay." She twisted over and rested her arm over her eyes. "Just be careful."

"I will."

Riley walked past the first corner that splits off toward the kitchen and was greeted with a view of the majority of the orphanage. The entertainment area had the same TV and couches, the couches of which certainly looked more abused, and the eating area also looked like it had before, including the same absence of Evette. James, who seemed to have a personal connection with David, still held his position behind the serving counter in the kitchen.

She cautiously wandered through the building, making sure not to make eye contact with anyone nor bring attention to herself in any way. She did, however, carefully observe them as they went about their day, soon coming to the disheartening realization that she recognized no one.

She walked back to and down the hallway that ultimately led to the basement door. She swiveled her head several times looking for David or James and, after spotting neither, quickly jiggled the handle. Not surprisingly she found it still locked.

She headed back out of the hallway and toward the bedroom after finishing her basic scouting of the building. Upon passing by David' office she accidentally peered inside and regretfully made eye contact with the man behind the desk. She nervously forced a smile of which he returned quickly. A wave of uneasiness shot through her after she made it back into the bedroom and out of his line of sight.

The room was consistently inhabited with at least some orphans of all ages throughout the day. Riley was anxious to be among them for a while as she fell into bed next to Ellie.

Ellie responded with a groan to the disturbance but quickly adapted. "How'd it go?"

"Pretty much all the same. James is still back there, but I didn't see Evette's assistant. The door to the basement is locked. No surprise there." She let out a sigh. "It's weird though."

"What?"

"Kids grow up in these places, you know? They can live their entire early lives here. Most do. Yet I didn't recognize a single one of them out there. We could've come back in like five years and chances are we would see a few of the same faces. But nothing. Not one."

"You think that means…"

"I don't know. But it's all the more reason to get out of here as soon as we can."

Riley lied down completely and settled in against Ellie hoping to get some rest in.

The sun, already near the end of its journey below the horizon, cast an extensive and complex array of shadows throughout the bedroom which were caused by the few dozen metal bed frames against the windows. The shadows were a dark and appealing contrast to the otherwise orange hue that saturated the room. Soon night had fallen and all that lit the room was the string of lights that were still crudely hung down the one row of beds.

Though the sound of footsteps getting closer to their bed pulled Ellie from her sleep, she kept her eyes closed until eventually the footsteps stopped just next to her. At her eye level all she could see was a belt buckle and the glinting off of its metal. She quickly scanned upwards to see the rest of the imposing figure.

"Shit! Oh, you scared me." Her sudden noise and jerking woke Riley to react the same.

"You may not know this, but the children here are not allowed to sleep in the same bed. That includes you two now."

"But we always-"

"Please sleep in your own beds from here on."

Ellie was hesitant to agree but knew they needed to be on good terms with David. "Sure, okay. Sorry."

He slightly nodded his head and smiled. "It's fine. Dinner is going to be served shortly."

They watched as he swiveled himself around and proceeded out of the room. Ellie put a hand over her heart and Riley rolled onto her back and stared at the bottom of the upper mattress.

Ellie spoke flatly after reaching an unhappy realization. "He's keeping tabs on us."

Riley groaned from behind her. "Seems that way, doesn't it? Not surprised to be honest."

"He didn't see you snooping around did he?"

"No. I don't think so at least. I kept checking." Riley lied quietly while letting thoughts run through her head. "Maybe we should lay low for a bit. If we don't do anything suspicious maybe he'll stop watching us."

"How long's a bit?"

"I don't know, a few days? Look, I don't want to stay here any longer than we have to either. But I'd rather do it right than rush it." She rubbed Ellie's shoulder before shuffling her way out of bed and off the opposite side. "Let's get some food."

"Hope it's not poisoned."

Riley's eyes widened. "Fuck you, why would you say that?"

Ellie grunted as she pushed herself out of bed and stood to join Riley. "Chill, it was a joke."

"Not here it isn't."

They both walked out of the dimly lit room and anxiously turned the corner to the kitchen to see what awaited them. They made their way through the staggered tables and grabbed a couple of plates from the stack and joined in behind the rest of the orphans. As they inched closer they could see the offerings of some mush, biscuits, chicken, and a gravy-looking side dish.

As their place in line moved them in front of the food trays, they made direct eye contact with James. He paused, gave them a thorough and confused judging, and proceeded to plop a couple of the substances onto their plates. The assistant Riley didn't see before was next to him helping, though he didn't seem to recognize them. He gave them the other couple of items before turning his attention to next person in line.

They took their plates and sat at a table nearest the wall. Ellie herself scanned the faces throughout the room and came to the same conclusion as Riley in that she recognized no one. She had lived at Gateway for much longer than her and to not know a single face was unsettling.

She looked over at Riley who was poking at the food with her fork. "Seriously? There's nothing in it."

"Yeah, seriously. And you don't know that." After a sufficient amount of studying she hesitantly began eating. "Tastes like shit."

"I could really go for some of Marlene's cooking instead."

"Well, yeah."

They shared a quickly fading smile and finished off their food. The dropped off their plates and ignored the rest of the other kids wandering around and headed straight back for their bed. They both sat in silence for some time on the bottom bunk, just staring out at the movements within the room.

"Just a few days..." Ellie spoke quietly, unintentionally being heard.

"Just a few."

Ellie yawned which set off Riley to do the same. "I think I'm done for the night."

"Same. See you in the morning… I guess."

"This is insane."

"It really is… night, Ellie."

"Night."

They quickly kissed before Riley split off to the upper bunk and covered herself in the blanket. They both lay in bed and stared out into the darkness in disbelief while listening to the symphony of breathing and coughing of the others surrounding them until eventually everything went silent.


	37. Chapter 37

37;

"Ready?" Riley received a nod in response. "Let's go."

After three nights of lying low as to keep suspicion away from them, the fourth was their chosen night of action. Riley stayed up the entire night, fearing she wouldn't be able to wake up in time should she have fallen asleep. It was early, two or so in the morning. The hanging lights in the room have been off for more than a few hours by this point, their usual electrical humming was silent. The only lighting to guide themselves by came from the dim street lights far outside the window.

Riley climbed down the small bunk ladder and landed silently on the balls of her feet next to the edge of Ellie's bed. The two crept through the grid of beds and their snoring orphans and slipped their way out into the entrance area. They slowly opened the door to David' office and took a spot in front of the desk.

"Told you it would be unlocked."

"Good for you. Now start looking."

Riley took the right half of the office, including the desk, and Ellie the left. She ran her hands over the rough textures of books and publications lined up on a bookcase, some of each type dating back decades. Her hands left the bindings and started opening cabinets and drawers, fumbling through a sea of loose paper.

"How the hell am I supposed to find anything in this mess?" Even her whispering seemed booming among the silence.

"I don't know. Just look for anything that isn't so generic it fits in with everything else."

"…great."

Ellie continued searching while Riley had moved to the desk from the bookshelf opposite of Ellie's. The first spot she checked was the upper drawer where she found the notebook the first time. She pushed aside the loose papers and stationary items and looked for it carefully. She scanned the written words of random meaningless and trivial subjects, finding nothing useful among them. She closed the drawer and moved onto the lower three pullout drawers that were much deeper than the first but just as fruitless.

"Shit."

"What?"

"Nothing."

"You can't say shit and then say nothing."

"What? No, I mean that I found nothing." She internally groaned. "You?"

"Just some useless books and journal stuff."

"Same. Next?"

"Yeah."

They wound their way around the desk and back out into the entrance area. Riley grabbed the door and slowly shut it, making sure to prevent the handle from clicking as it sprang outwards into the groove in the door frame. They continued on around the corner to the right and tried the kitchen door.

"Of course it's locked."

"Told you."

"Fucking good for you again. What now?"

Ellie looked around for a second before walking back out into the dining area. She disappeared out of view for another second and reappeared with half her body around the corner, gesturing for Riley.

"We can just hop over the counter."

The great area had a strong sense of eeriness about it at night. The always crowded couches and chairs in front of the TV were empty, as were the dozen or so tables in the dining area. The constant noise throughout the day by the other orphans was replaced by an incessant ringing in their ears from the absence of sound.

Riley turned the corner just as Ellie had finished slowly crawling her way over the counter and dropped down onto the other side.

"Move your ass."

"You're enjoying this way too much."

"I'm really fucking nervous actually. Just hurry up."

Riley put her hands on the counter and pushed herself up and crawled across it in the same fashion Ellie had. At the other edge she put her left leg down, but as she swung her right leg from under her to do the same it swiped out to the right and knocked into a tray, sending it clattering onto the floor. The sound reverberated throughout the room as it seemed to bounce off every single surface.

They both immediately froze, the only movement coming from their eyes as they stared at each other in stomach-churning panic. The vibration of their own heartbeats within their ears sounded like a relentless rhythmic earthquake, deafening the world around them. They stared off into the short hallway to the left of the TV area, the sleeping quarters for a single staff member, James, and listened closely for any reactions. They waited an agonizing minute before sighing in relief.

"I think we're okay." Ellie glared over at Riley through the darkness. "You remember that whole thing where we're trying to be quiet?"

Riley grunted and looked away.

"What do you expect to find in a kitchen anyway?"

"Hoping for a key or something. That James guy always has one on him, maybe he has a spare in here. I don't know." She spun back around and started digging through one of the few drawers with Ellie taking a spot next to her to do the same.

"Looks like just a bunch of recipes and inventory shit."

"Food schedule here. Looks like they're serving the same-"

They shut up and turned around quickly when they noticed a small stream of light suddenly crawl out from below the closed door at the far end of the hall. They watched the door nervously, desperately hoping it would stay shut. The turn of a doorknob and the sudden burst of light out into the hallway immediately dashed that hope.

"Fuck. Get down!"

The light from the far room spread itself throughout the entire room, diminishing greatly as it distanced itself from the source but still remaining strong enough to illuminate the kitchen to an uncomfortably bright level. They couldn't stick their heads up over the counter to see without being seen themselves but they could hear the footsteps getting slowly closer.

"What do we do?"

Riley jerked her head left and right looking for something to hide behind. "Uh… there!"

She pointed near the back toward a small gap between the counter and the oven, its top covered by some kind of appliance. The gap was semi-enclosed by thin metal bars stretching in an X shape on both the front and back sides.

They both stayed crouched and hurried towards it. Ellie went in first and squeezed herself as much as she could against the back set of bars. As Riley heard a key being inserted into the kitchen door's lock she carefully crawled over the front set of bars and crammed herself as much as she could against Ellie. At that point all they could do is just stare out at the edge of the island and wait.

The sound of a key gave way to the sound of a handle being twisted and then a door creaking open. The lights flickered on and instinctively caused the girls to pull in their knees even farther against their chests.

The footsteps sounded more like shuffling, and the exhausted groans were distinctly from an younger man. The bottom third of a leg came into view just as they heard the tray sliding along the ground before being picked up and clattered onto the others. The leg stayed in place but swiveled in a complete circle, no doubt its owner looking around.

It soon stopped its rotation and moved out of sight. The kitchen lights were then suddenly extinguished and the door locked. They listened as the tired footsteps retreated far enough away to where the room eventually went silent again and the light coming from the back room went out. They kept their breathing subdued and refused to move for several minutes until they felt safe enough to exit their hiding spot.

Riley, being the last to go in, was first to come back out. She poked her head out slightly and checked to make sure it was completely empty before leaving. Her voice was even quieter than it had been before the incident.

"Clear."

Ellie crawled out after her and stood up to lean against the island. "Holy shit. My heart is beating so fast right now."

"Mine too… how about we don't do that again?"

"We?"

"Alright fine. Me. Sorry. Just come on, there's only a few more drawers to check."

They picked up where they left off, though in a much more heightened state, and continued rummaging through whatever they could find. The majority of what was found was mostly inventory and purchase records.

"There's nothing here, Riley."

"I see that." She sighed as she looked back toward the counter they jumped over earlier. "Alright, last spot."

Riley hopped over first, though much more carefully this time, with Ellie following close behind. They turned to the left and walked straight ahead, passed the office and beds, to the front door. They quietly undid its locks and slipped through into the night. It was cold but the wind was still. They forewent their coats in favor of quieter movement which caused the air to be harsher than usual.

They rubbed their arms as they made their way around to the side of the building with the holes leading to the basement windows.

"Same deal as last time?"

"Yeah, just hurry up."

Riley climbed down the ladder and put her forehead against the glass with her hands cupped around face to help pierce the blackness of the room. She moved left and right, up and down, to see if she could get a hint of anything on the inside but quickly gave up. She pressed her hands against the glass next and pushed upwards to see if she could get it to slide but failed at that too. She climbed back up to where Ellie was impatiently rocking back and forth trying to keep warm.

"Couldn't see anything. The windows are covered or something on the inside. Locked too."

"Not surprising." She thought for a moment before shaking her head. "Come on, next one."

They moved on to the next hole and repeated the same assigned roles. Upon receiving the same outcome as the last they continued on through the rest of them, but each time no different. Locked and covered.

"Well, what now?"

"Can't do anything else tonight, I don't think."

"Alright, then let's get inside and figure it out tomorrow."

Riley nodded in agreement and followed Ellie back around and through the front door into the entrance area. She slowly locked it and cautiously snuck with Ellie through the room of sleeping orphans.

They quietly split to each of their beds and settled into them with a muddled sigh of relief and frustration. Though their nerves were still on edge, the late hour eventually took its toll.

Morning came quickly and Riley's much needed sleep was disrupted by a finger to the forehead.

"My turn to wake you up."

Her eyes opened to a squint to look at the face staring back at her. Though her mind sluggish she still managed to give her a tired smile. "Funny."

"Wasn't sure you'd remember. Move over."

Ellie settled into the void Riley created between herself and the bed's railing. She looked around carefully to be sure they were in the clean before settling her head on the pillow. "So, you think of anything?"

"About what?"

"What do you mean 'about what'? Last night."

"Oh right. No, not yet." She stretched out and yawned. "I just woke up, you know."

"Well get thinking. I want to leave really soon."

"I do too, but why is this on me? Have you thought about it?"

"I have… but other than just breaking the damn things I got nothing."

Riley raised her eyebrows in a sarcastic interest. "You know, that was my idea from before."

"I wasn't serious." She spoke flatly.

"Why not though? We break it, search around really quickly, and then get the hell out of there. It's the last place we have to check, so we'd just leave right after."

Ellie focused distantly and bit her lip. "I swear we had this conversation when we first met."

"I really doubt that."

"Well not literally. When we stole from that store for the first time. I threw out an idea to just steal that bracelet in the window, but I wasn't serious. You said 'why not,' and then we stole it."

An ill-concealed smile spread across Riley's face. "Yeah, I guess so. So does that mean…"

Ellie nodded, though still unsure. "Yeah. I mean, unless you've got something better."

"Not really. Not right now at least."

Riley watched as Ellie's expression suddenly faded away, their situation obviously weighing heavily on her. She tucked Ellie's loose hair behind her ear before resting their heads foreheads together.

"Just one more night here. That's all."

"I know, it's just... I just really want this over with."

"Me too. And it will be. We'll be out of here before this time tomorrow."

"Good."

Riley felt the tension ease a little. "Good." She leaned up and propped herself up against the railing of the bed. "Now, as much as I'd love to stay in bed all day with you, I'd rather not have that Southern freak talk to us again."

The sudden insult forced a mild laugh out of Ellie. "Alright, alright. I'll go. Suppose we should get some breakfast anyway."

"Yeah, probably. Plus it'll be our last here, so that's cool."

"Very." Ellie groaned as she leaned herself up and made her way down the ladder.

They were both already fully dressed for the day since they hadn't bothered to bring any change of clothes for the nights. Ellie put on her shoes on the bottom bunk while waiting for Riley to follow her down and get ready. They headed out of the now mostly empty room and to the now mostly full tables. They grabbed their food and took their spots in the corner.

"Not gonna miss this place."

"Yeah, no shit. Though if we can find something tonight, this place could be okay again."

Ellie scooped a forkful of eggs and a bite of toast into her mouth, taking advantage of the last free food they'll have for a while. "Speaking of which, any thoughts on the whole… breaking thing?"

"Rock no good?"

"Sure, I guess. Seems like it would be loud." She watched as Riley simply smirked at her. "What?"

"We wouldn't just smash the window. Need to be smart about it."

"Is there an art to this that I'm missing?"

"Just a bit. During my homeless stint from the first time around, I picked up a thing or two about breaking glass." She saw Ellie about to word something but cut her off. "Don't ask. Anyway, we just need some duct tape and a blanket."

Ellie sighed while looking back towards her food and then back at Riley. "Would've been good to have known earlier about the tape. Could've looked for some."

"It's fine. Saw some in his drawer in the office."

Ellie stared off into the distance at nothing and let everything sink in once again. "So that's it?"

"That's it."

They gazed at each other for a moment before nodding and finishing their food, wasting away the rest of their day with building nerves and pangs of anxiety.


	38. Chapter 38

38;

Riley was woken by a nudge from Ellie in the middle of the night.

After rubbing her eyes Riley nodded and climbed down the ladder to where Ellie was waiting, opposite their roles from the night before. She grabbed hold of one of the blankets on Ellie's bed and tied it around her waist before sneaking their way out through the bedroom.

Ellie closed the door behind them and waited by the office door while Riley moved around the desk and started digging into its upper drawer full of miscellaneous items. She quickly grabbed the tape from the back of the drawer and met back with her.

"Got it. Should make things a bit easier."

"You never said how that'll help."

"You'll see."

They silently opened the front door and slipped out through the slight gap they allowed themselves. They hurried around the building and stopped next to the first hole they came across. Riley headed down first and motioned for Ellie to do the same.

"You don't want me keeping watch?"

"I need you."

Ellie gave a last quick couple of looks around. "Alright." She climbed down and saw that Riley had already untied the blanket and had the tape rolled out between both hands. "What do I need to do?"

"You're going to just ho-" Her head fell backward with an annoyed grunt. "Shit, forgot the rock. Can you go find one that can break through this?"

She responded with a sigh. "Yeah, give me a second."

Ellie climbed back up, crossed her arms, and hustled over to a small line of trees at the edge of yard. She scanned the ground near each of the trunks looking for something decently sized. She spotted a hefty sized one with enough weight to warrant some effort to pick it up.

By the time she got back and climbed down the ladder Riley had already spread tape on the window from corner to corner in the shape of an 'X'. Multiple strands were layered on top of each other and the blanket was laid at the base of the pane.

Riley turned around at the approaching noise. "Alright, let me see." Ellie passed her the rock and began examining the peculiar setup.

"What is this?"

"It's how we're gonna stay quiet."

"Okay..."

"Breaking glass doesn't make much noise. What does make noise is when the glass shatters after hitting the ground." She turned around back at the window and gestured at it. "The 'X' will help keep the glass in triangle pieces when we break it. We just need to make sure to they don't hit the ground hard."

"Which I assume is why you brought the blanket."

"Yeah. We won't be able to grab all of it, so whatever we miss will hopefully hit soft enough."

"Hopefully."

"I'm all ears for something else."

"Sorry, sorry. What do I need to do?"

"Just keep your hands up against the glass on the left two sections. If you can make them tilt toward you."

"…I'll try."

"Alright, ready?"

Riley received a nod before going ahead with the plan. She put a shred of the blanket that she tore off earlier against the center of the 'X' and started slowly tapping at it with the rock. She slowly grew the tapping into hitting, making sure to build up to the least amount of force needed to break it. After several hits a crack began to form.

"Almost there."

They both held their breath as Riley continued tapping at it. With another three hits the glass suddenly gave way and split at the tape lines to create four large deformed triangles. The top piece stayed in place but the bottom three fell loose. Riley reacted quickly by sticking out her foot as the right shard fell to ease its fall. Ellie's left piece fell towards her, which she softly stopped, but the middle piece snapped in two. The lower half fell onto the blanket while the upper half hit the pane on its way down and shattered onto both sides of it.

They both closed their eyes and clenched their teeth as they waited for the noise to dissipate. They stayed quiet and still in hopes of not hearing anything further.

"That wasn't that bad."

"Could've been worse."

"Let's just be quick."

They carefully stepped over the window pane and peered into the darkness of the basement, most of it impossible to see. They walked in the direction of the food cooler near where the foot of the staircase lay. As they approached it the surrounding blackness gave way and some of the features of the room came into view, as did a realization that caused immense unease.

"There are three of them…"

Ellie scanned with intensity between the two new identical coolers that now lay immediately next to the original. "Come on, let's do this and then get the fuck out of here."

They stepped up to the door of the cooler closest to the staircase, the same one they had originally found the notebook and chair in. As expected a padlock was closed tightly through the metal rings of the door and of the cooler itself. Riley tilted it upward and let it rest in the palm of her hand.

"Let's see if he bothered to change it." She twisted the lock's face around to 17, then 53, and finally 6. It fell loose and caused Riley to let out a scoff in disbelief. "Surprised that worked."

"I'm surprised you still remembered that."

"Never forgot it." She pulled the lock off completely and stashed it in her pocket before swinging the door open.

They flicked on the light, revealing the inside that looked almost untouched since they last saw it. Meats were still organized and sitting on the metal shelves lining the room. Some dry food and other products were scattered throughout as well.

The most glaring detail was that the chair they remembered with such vividness was gone, instead replaced with a metal stool with arms half hidden in the corner. Their attention was immediately drawn toward it for a second before looking back at the each other in worry.

"Start looking."

They began lifting and pushing aside everything that they could in search of anything useful. Ellie checked the same spot where she found the notebook the first time, off to the left side and behind a bag of potatoes, but came up empty-handed. Riley finished her searching her half with the same outcome.

"Anything?"

"Nothing."

"Figures. Last two."

They switched off the light and moved on to the next in which they caught a small break.

"No lock on this one." Riley glanced off to the left towards the other. "What about that one?"

Ellie followed her gaze and walked over to the third cooler and peered closely to see nothing attached to its handle. "This one neither."

"Good. Check that one and I'll get this one."

They both unhatched the handles of their own and pulled the doors open. Ellie reached over and felt for the light switch, finding it slightly shifted to the side from the other cooler, and flipped it up. A single light bulb hanging by a wire in the center began to buzz and gradually grow brighter.

As her vision adapted she could see that the room was essentially the same as the first. Metal racks lined the walls with enough storage to feed an entire orphanage, though the actual amount that was stored seemed exceptionally limited.

A quick metallic noise pulled her attention away from the few final boxes she was checking.

"Already forget the whole trying to stay quiet thing again?" She waited for a response but scrunched her brow when she didn't get one. "Riley?"

She turned around and started heading back out to check the noise when the door slammed shut just inches from her face. She stared wide-eyed in shock as her heart sank and every emotion possible bombarded her at once.

"Riley?"

She yelled in panic as she ran towards the door and shoved her shoulder into it. It didn't budge and no matter how much force she used all she accomplished was bruising herself up. She began pacing back and forth rapidly, her breathing just as fast. She pushed her trembling hand up against her forehead and slid it through her hair as her mind raced.

"Fuck… fuck, fuck, fuck! What do I do, what do I do? Come on, Ellie, think. Something. Anything!"

After moments of panicked pacing she reached the door again and started slamming her palms into it over and over again. She screamed until the pain in her throat became too much to tolerate and her hands started going numb.

"Riley!"

She quickly exhausted her energy and collapsed against the door sobbing, panting, and hyperventilating. Her entire body was shaking and her eyes were blurry as she sat staring at the cell of a room she was locked in. Her thoughts raced back and forth between her own situation and that of Riley's. Not knowing was horrifying.

She wiped her eyes and locked onto a spot at the side of the room. She frantically walked over to the wall that was closest to the other cooler and started ripping off the racks and throwing them to the other side. She stopped once she pulled enough off and was able reach the wall unhindered. She took another quick look at it before starting to hit at it with the sides of her fists, the only part of her body that didn't hurt yet.

"Riley!" She continued banging and yelling with a broken and terrified voice at the wall until her exhaustion overtook her again and forced her to the ground.

After a few moments of catching her breath she felt a dull thudding coming from the wall she had her back against. She took a deep breath and laughed out of a desperately needed feeling of relief. She knocked back the same amount of times and let her head fall back against it.

She forced herself to rest and allowed her breathing to slow and her pulse to normalize. The inactivity, however, gave the realization of her situation a chance to fully sink in. She looked around helplessly at her cage, examining everything she could that could be of some use. The light bulb was still glowing bright, fortunately, and though she had some food most of it was either raw meat or just the ingredients to actually make the meals.

Not long after the hopelessness enveloped her, the accumulation of her adrenaline crashing, the expending of most of her energy, and the time being shortly after midnight caused her eyelids to grow exceedingly heavy. She shook her head and started rubbing at them to try and keep awake though the effects of her severe lack of sleep for the last few days were coming down hard. She finally gave in when she knew she couldn't fight it any longer, banged against the wall a couple more times for comfort, and drifted off.

Riley sighed on the other side of the wall after hearing the hits and knocked back herself. She laid against the same wall as Ellie, exhausted and sore from yelling and hitting at the door for as long as she could. She stared around at the ransacked room in defeat with her mind darting back and forth between the thoughts of her and Ellie, who locked them in, and what's going to happen.

The only sense of comfort she had now was with the knowledge that Ellie was okay and that she still had the small bullet-shaped bottle that she was currently fingering. She pulled from her pocket the padlock from the cooler door and placed it on the shelf nearest her before carefully stashing the spray in its place.

She managed to keep herself awake slightly longer than Ellie had, expecting that whatever locked her in would try something that night. But nothing did. Not that night, not even the next day.

Throughout the hours she was awake, which themselves seemed like days, she would alternate between whatever methods of distraction she could come up with. She would pace back and forth to keep her legs from stiffening up, hum whatever tunes popped up in her head, or just sleeping on and off. She would interrupt her activities in regular intervals by hitting against the wall several times and waiting for a response so, only once she received one, she could continue on.

After what seemed like the second day she had felt herself grown noticeably weaker. She started to ration off the edible food that she found, eating only just enough of it to satiate her stomach pains. Though food was enough of an issue, water was even more so. With none that she could find, her activities that required any sort of energy were cut off in hopes of conserving what little her body currently had.

"Hey!" She hit the door several times while uselessly yelling at it. "Even prisoners get some fucking food and water!"

She gave it a solid kick before falling back down against the wall and knocking against it. She sat and waited a moment, but when waiting for such a vital response even a moment could seem like an hour. And when that hour passed her heart sank and a panic set in again.

"Don't do this to me, Ellie."

She hit against it several times more and then repeatedly until a quick series of dull and essential vibrations interrupted her. She let her head fall back against the wall with a sigh and a confusing muddled laughter.

Almost immediately after the reciprocated knocking, as though her request had somehow been heard, a grinding noise against the outside of her cell startled her out of her temporary relief. She stared straight at the door and, after realizing what was happening, struggled to get to her feet. She frantically patted her pockets until she found the outline of the spray bottle and grasped it in her hand. She took a few sluggish steps toward the right side of the door and held her arm straight out with the small canister pointed directly where it would pivot open.

She suddenly became heavily aware of the silence of her cell. Her breathing harshened and her pulse quickened as she waited in anxiety.

"Come on… come on…"

The grinding stopped, and with it her heart beat grew thunderous. The door let out a moan as it loosened from its stiffened state and began to crawl outwards.

It was clear that it was night as the gap between the door and its frame widened and revealed pure blackness. Her vision was greatly limited of the room beyond. After a few more seconds a face came into view and Ellie's story about the dream she had came flooding back as did the one very specific word she had requested of her. 'Guess.'

As soon as she saw the gray haired man clearly she held down the tab until his face appeared as though it had been spray-painted orange.

He yelled like an animal as he grabbed at his face and stumbled backwards in blinding pain. He crouched over and began coughing violently, preventing him from retaliating in any manner.

She shoved open the door the rest of the way with her left shoulder and pushed David to the side and out of her way with her right. She immediately side stepped to the right and grabbed at the bar like object made of metal jammed in between the locking rings of the cooler door next to hers. Her hands were uncontrollably shaking which made it near impossible to pull upwards. She eventually resorted to hitting at it from the top in hopes of dislodging it.

"Ellie!" She yelled as her panic hit a maximum.

Within a split second after her frantic act for contact she was slammed forward into the outside of Ellie's door. She lost all strength in an instant and collapsed to her knees, the spray sliding out of reach from the impact. She tried to push herself up but her hands were instead grabbed by a figure she hadn't seen a moment earlier and was dragged and thrown violently back into her cell. The door was slammed shut followed by the same metallic grinding.

"Let me the fuck out of here!"

She managed to hobble toward the door with what minimal energy she had left and pushed herself against it in a desperate last attempt but with no result. She collapsed to the floor and slumped over before breaking down into screaming and crying.


	39. Cell

39;

Ellie lurched up in her room from a sudden commotion taking place just outside her room, something akin to a yell. She pressed her ear against the door to listen and, within just a few seconds, heard a few dull thuds and then, unmistakably, her name being yelled.

"Riley!" She yelled in return and started banging against the door.

She yelped and jumped back out of surprise when the door suddenly rattled from something hitting it from the other side. After it went quiet again she nervously put her ear back against the door and listened to a couple of voices seemingly arguing at each other. One was neutral and quiet, the other louder and more aggressive. They grew quieter the longer she listened before eventually disappearing altogether.

She stepped back and stared in confusion at the door. Her daze was broken when she heard the familiar knocking sounds coming from the back of the room, though noticeably fainter than usual. She exhaled as though she had been holding her breath the entire time, sat down against the wall, and knocked back.

An hour passed by and the rise of energy within her from the turmoil just outside her door was wearing off. She took a few of the many cardboard boxes around the room and crumpled them until they were suitable as a head rest. She put it next to the wall and rested until the late hour finally caught up to her.

Her situation was similar to Riley's, the room contained some random food items and was also lacking water. Dented up cans of canned food lay strewn about one side of the room due to the numerous bashes as attempts to get them open. The only food she managed to easily obtain were raw potatoes and some random jars of jelly and pasta sauce. Most of her time was spent lying on her back with her head on her box pillow and staring at the ceiling. She had no energy, walking back and forth or even just standing up took too much effort.

Another day had seemingly passed that was filled with inactivity and intermittent knocking. The time assumable by her additional tiredness that was unrelated to the physical weariness that she now felt constantly. The knocking that kept her sane had stopped earlier, presumably, hopefully, due to the other participant having fallen asleep. So when a foreign sound filled the room it shot a sense of panic through her.

She slowly climbed to her feet and braced herself against the back wall, preparing for the unknown. The door groaned as it swiveled open and soon, in its gap, the face of her nightmares materialized. It gradually entered in through the doorway, seemingly cautiously, and stopped itself just under the solitary light bulb. A second figure appeared behind him but remained half-hidden in the shadows of the basement.

David held a clipboard in his left hand and a pen in his right, his characteristic grin missing. "Hello, Ellie."

Her breathing had hastened substantially simply from his presence. She stared at him wordlessly through the loose strands of hair that obscured her face.

"You're probably wondering why you're in here."

"Fuck you."

He shrugged the insult off with an unsettling chuckle. "Anger is such an ugly emotion, don't you think, Ellie? It's so… raw and unfiltered. You know it caused even God himself to drown the human race."

"Didn't peg you for the religious type."

"I enjoy the stories." The missing smile found its way to his face. "Speaking of which, I'd love to hear yours. I can't help but think it would be a most enlightening one."

"I'm not telling you shit." Her voice was faint yet forceful.

"I figured as much. Perhaps I should go have a… conversation with Riley? I'm sure she'll be happy to talk." He turned around and started to walk before being stopped.

"Wait! Don't…" She reached out with her hand but quickly clenched it closed and put it back at her side. "Don't. I'll talk."

"Hit a bit of a sore spot, did I? Regardless, I'm glad you've made the decision to be cooperative." He took a few steps towards her which caused her to press against the wall even harder. "Now, just a single question if you don't mind. Why are you here?"

She snarled through her teeth. "'Cause you locked me in here."

"Don't be stubborn with me, Ellie. You're smarter than that." He exhaled in frustration. "Last time. Why are you here?"

Complying with David was the last thing she wanted to do, but if there was a chance, even the most minor of ones that could help her and Riley, she'd take it.

"Fine. You want to know? We're here to find proof."

His smile disappeared and his eyes narrowed. "Proof of what?"

She looked at him as though the answer to his question was obvious. "For what? Look at where we are, what you're doing! We know what we saw in the basement that night. You killed Tino and we're here to find something that would prove it."

He looked around the room for a moment as per her command and then settled in on her eyes. "Interesting."

"…what?"

"Are you thirsty?" Ellie's face couldn't settle on an emotion from the sudden disparate question. "Looks like you are."

"Yeah. And I'd like some actual food too. Not the shit I've been eating in here."

He scribbled something onto his paper. "I wasn't offering." He turned around and walked passed James and out into the blackness, but not before whispering something into his ear.

Panic set in as James left his post at the door and started walking lazily towards her.

"Wh-what are you doing?"

He ignored her and reached over to her right and pulled out the stool from the corner, its legs grinding against the floor as he slid it toward the center. He grabbed her by the shoulders and forcibly dropped her into the stool which grinded backwards from the impact. He kept one hand on her to stop her struggling and reached behind himself with the other to produce a few segments of cord.

"Let me go!" She thrashed at him with what energy she had left.

"Stop struggling or I will hurt you."

Though simple, his words sent a shiver down her spine. Not only because of their intention, but because of their sincerity. With no choice in the matter she listened. He fastened her wrists and ankles to the arms and legs of the stool and left the room.

As the door slammed closed the hopelessness of the situation set it. Her eyes began to dart around, their focus on nothing in particular, and immediately welled up with tears. Her breathing shortened and with each wriggle of an arm or leg the compressing grip of claustrophobia grew exponentially. The more she fought to free herself, the more she panicked. And the more she panicked, the more she fought to free herself. Soon everything built to a point that proved too much. The buildup of tears broke free and streamed freely down her cheeks as she dropped her head and sobbed until her chest hurt.

Just a few feet away, on the other side of the wall, Riley had made a makeshift pillow similar to the one Ellie had fashioned out of cardboard. She pressed it against the wall and lay staring at the increasingly aggravating light bulb hanging from the ceiling. Her vision was half-blurred from her now swollen right eye due to the impact against the door. It stung, but it was a dull ache that was constantly overshadowed by the pain she felt in her stomach and more so the dryness in her throat.

Another exceedingly long day had passed and she noticed her heart beating quicker than usual, even at a rest. But given her circumstances she wasn't surprised.

By the time the door rattled again from its latched being unhinged from the outside she had no desire, nor capability, to even stand. She simply leaned herself up into a seating position and watched the door.

In her exhaustion she couldn't help but to find the scene playing out in front of her as darkly comical. James swiveled the door open and slowly entered the room first with a knife stretched outwards. When he spotted her still sitting he dropped his arm back to his side and grumbled something to the dark. He shifted to the side, allowing David to wander his way in with a clipboard in hand and a pen in his shirt pocket.

"Didn't want to come in first this time, David?"

He stared down at the bruised up girl for a second before smiling back. "Yes, I'll admit that was rather… unexpected."

"How'd it feel?" Her smile vanished and a scowl took its place. "Did your face burn? Couldn't breathe? I hope it felt like death."

He quickly wrote something on his pad. "Quite aggressive I see."

"No fucking food or water will do that to a person."

"Indeed." After clearing his throat he continued. "So, Riley, shall we try this again? Perhaps in a less violent manner?"

She silently glared with a burning expression of hatred that she had for the man looking down at her.

"I can understand why you're probably not happy to see me. But, have you never considered my side of the story?"

"No." Her voice lowered into a growl.

"I let you back into the orphanage, fed you, sheltered you. And what do you do? Immediately you're sneaking around my building. Again." He nodded towards the other man still standing in front of the open door. "James here heard you two several nights ago in the kitchen. Since then I've had him watch you, night and day."

"So you starve two girls for sneaking around? What kind of psychopath are you?"

His voice quieted, uncharacteristic of the enthusiastic man, and stared her straight in the eyes. "The experimenting kind."

A feeling of horror overtook her and left her almost breathless. She had been scared for the past several days, but this was the first she's felt actual fear.

"…why?"

His voice raised again and his appearance returned to normal, as if nothing had happened. "You yourself asked me what I have a Ph.D. in. I told you long ago that it was in education. But, since it doesn't matter now, it's in biological chemistry. I document how people react to certain chemicals."

"By injecting them and then watching them die."

"It is an unfortunate conclusion, I will confess. But it is for the benefit of everyone."

"Killing orphans is somehow benefiting everyone?"

"Exactly! Now you're getting it. The data I collect will be invaluable in our understanding of a toxin's effect on a body while accounting for various factors. In this case, dehydration."

"You're insane. You're literally insane."

He ignored her comment and continued. "Now if you don't mind, I'd like to ask you a question."

The question surprised her and her tone reflected that. "Fuck you."

He smiled at the sudden insult. "Yes, quite thought-provoking words. Ellie said the same thing."

Riley's fear quickly converted into anger at the mere mention of her name. "You better not have fucking touched her."

"Ah now, Riley, I don't think you're exactly in a position to be telling me what I can and can't do. But, since I'm feeling rather generous, I will tell you that your little girlfriend is just fine… well, comparable to you at least." He exhaled sharply as he grew impatient. "So, why are you here, Riley?"

She lowered her brow in confusion as she considered his words. "That's your question? Why the hell does that matter?"

"It matters. Now please answer it."

"You know why we're here."

He exhaled through his nose as he had done before. "Both of you are so stubborn, refusing to answer even the most basic of questions. I'd like to say that I admire your… tenacity, but to be honest, I find it aggravating." He lifted his head slightly but continued staring down at her. "I'm giving you a chance to live just a little bit longer by answering a simple question, Riley. But, if you'd prefer, as it seems you do, I'd be willing to end this all right now."

He walked next to James and reached outside the door before returning to Riley with a small wooden box in his hand. He opened it and carefully lifted out a small glass syringe which he slowly lowered to her face to observe.

"Tetrodotoxin. Nasty stuff really. Just half a milligram will do." His gaze shifted from the tube back down to Riley. "So… you were saying?"

She stared intently at the clear liquid floating inside the tube, her mind unable to perceive the serious shift in perspective. She slowly nodded her head out of fear and broke her stubbornness.

"…we wanted to get rid of you."

He smiled and pulled the syringe back to his side. "There we go. And how were you going to do that?"

Her eyes were narrowed and her eyebrows lowered. "Initially to get evidence of what you're doing, but now I wouldn't mind just killing you instead."

"Excellent." He again scribbled down on his clipboard. "We'll be back shortly."

She lowered herself back to the ground again and put her head on the box as the door slammed shut. She closed her eyes and placed a hand against her head to try and calm her nerves and relieve the throbbing headache that has been steadily worsening during her incarceration.

It wasn't long before David' words rang true and the handle on the outside of the door began to grind.

With little energy left, she simply sighed at the noise and kept her head on the ground. She opened her eyes when a shadow settled over her eyelids to see one of the figures hovering over her. His head blocked out the light hanging above him which caused a blackness to be cast over his features and made him seem like a mile tall shadow.

"Answer me something." She spoke out to delay the inevitable as long as possible.

The shadow twitched its head slightly away from the light to reveal a clearly strained smile. "Why would I do that?"

"I answered your question, you can at least do the same."

He paused for a moment before straightening his posture again. "I suppose I should extend the same courtesy shouldn't I? Very well, what is it?"

"Tell me what happened to Tino and Sam."

"Tino and Sam… Tino and Sam…" He appeared lost for a second but his eyes lit up soon after. "Your friends, the two boys, right?" He chuckled. "There have been so many through here, I almost forgot them. Sorry to say, but they were nothing special. A couple of routine tests."

"…so they're dead."

"The tests were successful, yes."

"You talk about them as if they weren't people."

"I'm well aware they were, but you become… desensitized to such things after the amount of time that I've been doing this." He cleared his throat and focused in again on Riley. "Anything else?"

"Last one. Do you always talk to your experiments this much?"

"I do not. Then again most tests are done within a day, not over the span of five. Besides, I have a special interest in you and Ellie."

"Yeah?"

"Quite. Now, I'm done wasting time. James, if you wouldn't mind."

James appeared from behind David and took his place standing over her. "Get up."

"No."

The man sighed in annoyance and pulled her up by her arm, slid over the poorly hidden stool, and tried to push her onto it. Before she hit the seat she managed to shoot out her leg into his knee as hard as she could, causing him to stumble backwards and growl with pain.

Riley stood slouched over and panting as she stared down the man who was glaring back at her. He looked infuriated and ready to retaliate but was stopped before he could do act by David's interjection.

"I'm surprised you have any fight left in you, Riley. Ellie gave in pretty easily in comparison."

Her heart sank once again and she could feel her face warming quickly with rage.

"Why bother resisting, Riley? You'll just die tired."

She stood staring at him as intimidatingly as she could. "Because I won't give in to you… I can't."

He remained completely silent for a few moments. "Fine. I'll just deal with you after I'm done with Ellie." Riley instantly looked at him in horror while he looked over at the other man. "Watch the door." James obeyed and stepped between Riley and the door as David slipped past and back out into the blackness.

Terror took over her entirety. "Don't you fucking go near her!" She glanced at the man blocking her and then out past him again. "David!"

Her heart began racing and her breathing became heavy as she shuffled left and right unsure of what to do, of what she could do. Without thinking she did the first thing that came to mind and charged at James and shouldered him in the chest. Though being weak and half his size, she barely managed to shake him. He took a step back to stabilize himself and shoved back with the same energy which sent her backwards onto the ground.

What would otherwise be a simple task, she struggled to get to her feet. "Move!" She screamed as loud as her throat would allow.

She scanned the room intensely as she completed each lap of her rapid pacing. After a few more circles around the room a glint off some metal hit her eye. She glanced over and spotted the padlock still sitting on the shelf to her right. She tried to hide her intention and slowly sidestepped to the right and rested a hand on the edge of the shelf. Each second that passed waiting for the right moment was complete agony.

"Get away from me!"

All of the air was pulled from Riley's lungs when she heard Ellie's voice cry out from the other room. Her body started trembling even harder but maintained focus just long enough to notice James had turned his head toward the sudden outburst.

She quickly palmed the lock in her hand and bolted at him for a second time. He quickly returned his focus back onto her when he noticed a figure closing in out of the corner of his eye, but not quickly enough.

She landed the side of the lock solidly against the side of his head, causing him to lose strength and bend at the knees. He tried to look back at her, but the surprise of the situation and the sharp pain in his head slowed his movement.

She swung again and hit him in the same spot which instantly opened a large cut near his left eye and caused him to fall the rest of the way onto his knees. She didn't hesitate upon seeing the small stream of blood and kept hitting the same spot as hard and as often as her strength and speed would allow.

After numerous hits she paused for a second and noticed that the lock, her hand, and the entire side of his face was stained a dark red color. She was breathing heavily from exhaustion as she stood over and watched him slowly squirm below her on the floor. Her adrenaline forced another swing out of her, silencing the groaning noises with finality.

She stared at the unmoving body in a daze but was suddenly torn out of it by the now continuous screaming coming from just a few feet away. Her eyes were drawn to his belt when she saw a black handle sticking up from behind it. She reached down and slid out the knife before sprinting out the door and taking an immediate hard right into the other.

As she entered she saw David with his back to the door and his heavy black shadow saturating the floor. She took no time to think before jumping onto his back and hooking her left arm around his neck to keep from being thrown off. The sudden added weight caused him to groan and fall backwards into the wall nearest the door, Riley taking the brunt of the impact. The air was knocked out of her, but she managed to hold on and began to wildly plunge the knife into every part of David' chest she could make contact with.

David jerked around violently and yelled out each time the knife connected with its target over and over. Riley couldn't stop herself even when the two of them became a pile of red on the floor in the corner of the room.

Her energy eventually depleted and left her panting heavily beneath a writhing groaning body that was sputtering out noises of incoherence. She slowly wriggled out from under him and rested on her knees before staring at the aftermath of her rampage.

He was breathing slowly, though the blood pooling in his mouth and dripping down his chin made even that near impossible. He watched her out of the corner of his eyes before showing his blood stained teeth in a contrived effort to smirk. With no reluctance she lunged the knife several more times into his chest, just to the right of dead center, until his head rolled to its final position.

She pulled out the knife for the last time before slowly turning around to see Ellie watching her wide-eyed with her mouth agape. Anger and adrenaline were controlling her which left her disoriented and unable to recognize the girl staring back at her.

"Riley! …Riley, it's me. It's Ellie."

Riley kept staring until Ellie's voice slowly managed to penetrate her frenzied state just enough to pull her to back to lucidness. She immediately bent down at the restraints and cut through each of them while Ellie pulled each arm and leg free as the ropes lost their strengths.

She jumped up and wrapped her arms around Riley and pulled her in as tightly as she could, uncaring that she was covered in blood. Riley tensed up from the sudden contact but eased into it and soon let loose the pent up emotions from their ordeal. They both stood in the middle of the room in a heavy embrace as they sobbed into each other's necks. Ellie eventually loosened her grip and wiped away some of her tears.

They gazed at each other through blurred visions when finally Riley smiled and managed a word through her broken voice.

"Hey."

Ellie almost started crying again as she returned the smile. "Hey."

They laughed out of nerves and overwhelming relief before settling again into another emotional hug.

After a minute Ellie broke it off and looked into Riley's eyes intently, though her expression had shifted slightly.

Riley wiped her eyes and looked back with a nervous smile. "What?" When she didn't get a response her tone dropped and her smile disappeared. "What is it?"

Ellie steadfastly kept her gaze onto Riley as she sighed. She reached over with her left hand and slid up her right sleeve, revealing a small red dot on her arm.


	40. Chapter 40

40;

They stood just inches apart in the small claustrophobic room that had been Ellie's cell for the past five days. The man responsible for the deaths of their friends Sam and Tino, and the reason of their return and subsequent incarceration, now lay dead at their feet covered in blood. The basement outside the room was shrouded in blackness with the exception of the bands of light flooding out from the two open doors.

Riley stared in confusion and anxiety at the small dot on the arm that Ellie was showing her. "…what is that?"

Ellie lowered her voice and raised her eyebrows in concern, more for Riley than herself. "He got me with something..."

Riley stood dumbfounded as her words caused an onslaught of fear and anxiety to flood over her. She immediately lost the control she had just managed to regain.

"No… no, no, no, no, no. We've got to get out of here. We've got to get you to a hospital now."

Ellie nodded nervously as Riley grabbed her hand and pulled her as fast as their severely weakened bodies allowed toward the basement door. They struggled up the old wooden stairs and undid the several locks on their side of the door before flinging it open.

As they passed its threshold they noticed that some scattered lights throughout the building had been turned on, a majority of them in the hallway lying just outside the basement. They could see a handful of orphans standing in the hallway and a few more of the younger ones peering from around the corners and within shadows. The noises and yelling emanating from the basement had inevitably drawn some attention.

From their perspective they observed two sickly girls, one who had deep restraint marks on her wrists and ankles, and both of whose clothes were covered in blood. As they moved through the hallway the onlookers kept staring but moved cautiously away when approached.

Riley made eye contact with one of the orphans who nervously gazed back. "Get us water. Lots of it."

The boy seemed paralyzed from the sudden command.

"Now!"

He jumped back slightly before disappearing over the counter and into the kitchen.

They continued quickly around the corner and directly into David's office. Riley reached the phone and dialed out while Ellie took a seat. She managed to speak, but not without great difficulty.

"I need an ambulance here right now… please…" Her eyes darted around in frustration. "It's my friend. Yes, right. I don't know! Just please hurry. Okay." She dropped it back onto the receiver and turned back towards Ellie. "They'll be here soon. How you feeling?"

"Okay so far. What about you though? You look like shit." She tried to lighten the mood but to no avail.

Riley just gave her a weak half-smile before she turned around and faced the door. "What's taking that little bastard so long? Hold on."

Ellie watched as Riley disappeared in a hurry out into the darkness. In it she could make out a few faces watching curiously, though none brave enough to approach. Riley came back soon with four bottles of water, two in each hand, and dropped them onto the table.

"Here."

In their extremely dehydrated state they frantically downed the first of their bottles shortly after twisting off their caps. They continued almost immediately onto the second ones and drank half of those too before giving themselves a break to breathe.

Ellie sat in the chair opposite of Riley and watched as she tapped her feet incessantly and uneasily looked around at everything, even at the slightest of noises.

"Can you settle down? You're making me really nervous."

Riley stopped moving her head and glanced at Ellie, who only then realized she was being talked to. "Sorry, I can't help it." She watched her with another prolonged look of concern. "How you feeling?"

"Still fine. A little warm."

Riley gave her a concerned look before glancing back toward the door. "Where the hell are they?"

"I'm sure they'll be here as soon as they can."

Riley shook her head. "How are you so fucking calm? I'm freaking out. I can't even… I can't-" She took difficult deep breath and spoke slower. "I can't even think straight."

"I can tell."

She broke off her gaze and observed the room again. "If we have to wait around can we at least do it somewhere else? This is one of the last places I want to be in."

Ellie matched Riley's movements and looked around at the musty office. "Yeah, let's go outside."

Riley nodded and they grabbed their water and got up from the desk. They walked out of the office still under the watchful eyes of the others who were scattered about and trying not to be noticed. They slipped out of the large wooden door, closed it for some privacy, and sat themselves on one of the curbs that lined the walkway connecting the orphanage to the street.

They had no idea what time it was, but it was completely black out and no cars could be seen for miles in either direction. The moon was barely a sliver which allowed for a great amount of the stars overhead to be visible, a faint milky way among them. The air was chilled and a decent breeze was blowing which produced a calming rustling noise from the trees around them.

Riley sat with one hand locked around her knees and the other in a tight grip with Ellie's. Her right heel was repeatedly bouncing, again making Ellie uncomfortable.

Ellie reached across with her other hand and laid it on the unrested knee. "Stop."

Riley ignored the command and instead chose to stare off into her own mind and let every possible thought have free reign. "This is all m-." Her voice cracked suddenly, making it unintelligible.

"All what?"

"This is all my fault…" She took another deep uneven breath and with it some tears began to sting the corners of her eyes. "We wouldn't be here if it weren't for me. We wouldn't be in this fucking mess!"

"Okay, so firstly, you need to calm the hell down, okay? You're freaking me out more than I already am. And secondly, most importantly, you didn't drag me here. I came because I wanted to. This isn't on you."

"That's not true, I pushed you into coming here. It was a stupid idea. It was so stupid, such a stupid fucking idea. If I hadn't been such an asshole and actually listened when you wanted to talk then maybe you wou-"

Ellie cut her off with a kiss in hopes of calming her down. "Please, Riley. You really need to-" A sudden series of coughs interrupted her. After they subsided she caught her breath and looking up at the girl already looking back in a new-found panic.

"…what the hell was that?" Her voice was shaking as a few tears broke free and rolled down her cheeks.

"It's nothing." She averted her gaze and quieted her words. "Told you I was a little warm."

Riley narrowed her eyes in disbelief and put her hand against Ellie's forehead before quickly pulling it back. "Jesus, you're burning up! Why the hell didn't you say anything?"

"Because of what you're doing now. I didn't want you to worry."

"Where the hell is that ambulance? Maybe we just should just start walking toward the hospital or… or, or something. We have to do something."

"It's miles from here."

"I don't give a fuck, Ellie!" She snapped and caught Ellie off guard. She took a couple more deep breaths and wiped her eyes before daring to meet her gaze again. "…sorry."

"It's okay." Ellie observed the building's wall before nudging Riley. "If it makes you feel any better, we did what we came to do."

"Not at all." She started bouncing her heel again. "You should drink the rest of your water, mine too. Did you want me to get some ice or something? It might help your head, maybe a-"

"Riley… relax."

"I can't! Okay? The only person I've ever loved in this stupid life, the only person who's ever made it worthwhile was injected with fuck knows what. How the hell can I relax?"

"Because you'll do it for me. And besides, it could be nothing, you know?"

Riley wiped her eyes again before resting her head on Ellie's shoulder. "Just please drink. Please…"

Ellie did as instructed not wanting to further stress her. She drank down her own first before finishing off the one that Riley gave her.

"Feel any better?"

She glanced down at the girl resting on her shoulder. "Not really."

"…any worse?"

Riley questionably stared at her in expectation of an unwanted answer. Ellie stared back before giving in to honesty and nodding slightly.

Riley turned back to focus on the distant road to watch for any approaching lights but was distracted a minute later by a several rough coughs. She turned and nervously watched as Ellie soon got stuck in a seemingly unending cycle. The coughing grew to the point where her inhales were sharp and forced, almost as though she were choking.

Riley felt increasingly useless as the bout continued, choosing to do the only thing she could think of and hit her on the back several times as it reached its peak.

Ellie was eventually able to catch her breath as the attack began to subside. She took a few more deep breaths in relief before letting her hand fall away and resting it back against her leg. She looked over to give a forced reassuring smile to Riley but instead spotted a look of horror on her face with her hand covering her mouth.

Ellie followed her gaze back down to her own hand sitting idly across her lap. She rotated it slightly and fell in equal shock to find it colored bright red. She stared at it in confusion and worry before wiping her hand on her pant leg and meeting again Riley's fearful gaze.

"…well that's not good."

Riley couldn't hold herself together any longer, not even for Ellie. Her entire body tensed up and started to tremble again as her tears flowed over her hand and dripped off her chin. "No, that's not good. What do we do?"

"I don't- I don't know… I mean, what can we do?"

She stared with a quivering lip until her worst fear voiced itself. "…I can't lose you, Ellie."

"Stop."

"I can't!"

Ellie reached over and wiped just below Riley's eyes. "I'm not going anywhere, okay? So please stop crying." She flashed a half smile that quickly disappeared.

Riley gazed wordlessly at her for a moment before eventually resettling her head onto Ellie's shoulder again and grabbing her hand while they waited.

She stared at the stain on Ellie's pants for the next four minutes, each one seeming like an eternity. The passing time was strewn with more coughing attacks, the spacing between each shortening as the time ticked by, each with the same result as the first.

Riley's stomach was stuck in perpetual turmoil and chaos that only worsened significantly when the hand gripping hers began to lose its strength. She squeezed it even harder in a hopeless attempt that somehow she could transfer some of hers back into Ellie. Shortly after she felt the head that was resting against hers become heavier.

Riley took a deep breath before speaking out into the air in front of them. "How you doing?"

"Not great." Her words came out heavy and slow.

She swallowed back the lump in her throat. "Not great? What does that mean?"

"It means- that I feel like shit. I'm also really… really tired."

Riley hesitantly leaned up and turned to observe Ellie, finding her eyes half shut and her face worryingly sweating despite the cold bitter air. Her focus slowly shifted away from her eyes and downward toward her mouth, stopping in despair upon reaching it. The left edge of it was stained red, the same as her hand earlier. She stared at it intently, unable to look away as her nerves and emotions built up into the most potent fear she's ever felt.

All at once, all of the collective evidence of Ellie's rapidly deteriorating condition crashed down on Riley, forcing her into an almost inebriated state, one that was impossible for her to handle.

She wrapped her arms around Ellie as tightly as she could and rested her forehead on hers before kissing her repeatedly with no intention, or ability, to ever stop. Tears streamed down her face as she pulled her closer and harder into each one. Ellie struggled to return them until she regrettably inched herself backwards to catch her breath.

Ellie rested her hand behind Riley's neck and tiredly smiled at her. "Well that was… intense..."

"I love you so fucking much."

"I love you too…"

"I'm so sorry, Ellie. I'm so sorry for everything. This is all my fault. Everything is all my fault. I-"

Her words were cut short when Ellie's hand slid off of the back of her neck and the expression on her face faded.

"…Ellie?" In a single instant her entire world was destroyed. "Ellie… Ellie come on. You gotta stay with me okay? Just a few more minutes, they're gonna be here soon. Come on, Ellie, don't you fucking dare leave me." She held her tighter and shook her several times. "…don't do this. Please don't do this. I need you. I need you, you can't leave me… Come on, Ellie, you can't do this to me. Not now. Come on, get up! I need you!" She collapsed onto Ellie's shoulder and sobbed into her neck.

"Please… please… please… I can't do this. I can't… I should never have taken us back here. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I can't do this without you, Ellie... please… please don't make me…I can't…"

Exactly seven minutes later two pairs of flashing lights were illuminating the front side of the orphanage. Each time through their rotation they would reveal an entire building's worth of faces peering through the windows.

The vehicles stopped along the street in front of the walkway and two men hopped out from each. They hustled over to two girls lying on the grass not far from the building's front door.

The officers of the one car split off as they reached the girls, one going inside with his hand on his gun, the other staying behind. The one who stayed found both girls unresponsive and motioned over the paramedics who were already hurrying over with stretchers.

Not long after the paramedics had secured both girls inside the ambulance did the second officer return from his initial search of the inside.

The man's expression portrayed uncertainty. "Two bodies in the basement."

"What happened?"

"One of them has some serious head trauma, the other an excessive amount of puncture wounds in his chest and stomach region."

"Damn."

"That's not all. It's, uh… you should probably just come see for yourself."

The first cop raised an eyebrow. "Alright. Cuff the one girl then meet me down there."

The cop nodded and headed back towards the ambulance while the other moved inside and past the now completely awake orphanage. He reached the great area and looked around for a second before spotting the door at the end of the small hallway and walked through it. He stood at the top of the stairs and observed the scene that lay in front of him.

The entire basements' worth of lights were switched on and revealed an almost entirely empty basement that held no more than just a few coolers on the wall opposite him. The middle one contained a blood-soaked body lying sideways on the inside of the door frame, only half visible from his position. He walked down the stairs while cautiously analyzing the far left cooler. It too contained a pool of blood surrounding a body that lain strewn half in and half out of its door frame.

The second officer came down the stairs and took a spot to the left side of the first.

"What'd I tell ya?"

"This is some seriously messed up shit."

"Broken window off to your left. The two coolers have chairs in each of them, the one on the left with some cut restraints on the ground."

"Was it a torture chamber or something?"

"Maybe. There's a syringe lying next to the older man with the puncture wounds, so it seems likely."

"A syringe? Jesus. Alright, stay here. I'll get a team out here to deal with this."

He headed out of the basement and past the crowd of orphans back out to his car. He grabbed the handset off his cruiser's center console and radioed out while watching the ambulances drive off down the road.


	41. Chapter 41

41;

The sound of patterned beeping and low humming was emanating from a slew of machines sitting just behind her head, their monotony hypnotizing and somewhat relaxing. The room felt harshly bright as the stark whites of the walls and ceiling seemingly collaborated together to converge all of the light directly into her eyes. As they adjusted to their brightness she started taking in the space around her to get a handle on where she was.

She looked down and saw that she was wearing a white gown with a blue diamond pattern spattered up and down it. The bottom half was covered by an even whiter bed sheet that was strewn over her. She tried to reach for the sheet and pull it up but was stopped by a shallow grip of metal. She tugged off the sheet with her other hand to find that her left hand was handcuffed to the bed railing. She shook the cuffs several times in disbelief.

A head appeared in the doorway, likely from the noise she caused, and disappeared just as quickly. A few seconds later she could hear the static from a handset radio.

She shrugged off the odd event and rested her head back onto the pillow and stared at the ceiling when, without an opportunity to ease into them, the events from the previous night came flooding into her head. Like a bomb, she was unable to resist the devastation they wrought.

She broke down and cried as hard as her body would allow to the point her stomach, chest, throat, everything was sore and burned. Her exhales escaped as moans and she writhed with every inhale. Her eyes eventually exhausted their supply and stopped flowing but unfortunately took over as focal points for a new piercing throbbing.

After some time since she heard the radio static a man dressed in a simple white dress shirt and black jacket cautiously walked in and made his way to the foot of her bed. He observed the girl who was clearly suffering and found himself hesitant to disturb her.

"Hello, Riley. I'm Detective Mason."

She slowly drug her eyes over to meet his. "Why did it take so long?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Why did it take so fucking long? We waited, and we waited, and she just kept getting worse…"

"I can tell you've been through a lot and I'm sorry about that, and for your friend, but-"

"I don't care, I want her back!" She tried to lean up but was pulled back down by the cuff around her wrist. She flailed her hand and yelled before tiring herself out and falling defeated back against the bed. "They should've just left me there…"

"I know you're upset, Riley, but please don't think like that. I can't even imagine what you went through."

"No. You can't. You really can't."

"I know that. And I'm not going to pretend to. But I am here to talk to you about that night."

"You're fucking kidding me. You can't even give me one second to-" She choked back her tears and dropped her head back on the pillow. "One second before interrogating me? Really?"

"I'm not kidding, Riley. And I'm sorry if it seems like I'm being aggressive, but you have been out for almost a week."

"A week? …it just happened last night."

"I understand, but I'm just trying to figure out what happened so I can help you and possibly many more like you."

"Why are you doing this to me?" She wiped her eyes before rolling onto her side facing away from the man. "Just leave me alone…"

"Because if not now, then I'd have to do it at the station with you in cuffs, and I really don't want to do that. Please, Riley. I really am just trying to help."

With no response from her the man sighed and rubbed his temple. "Again, I'm really sorry about what happened. Just… I'll be back when the doctor gives me the okay."

As suddenly he appeared he disappeared out the door, leaving her alone in the overexposed sterile room still handcuffed to the bed. He took with him the distraction from everything that she realized she desperately needed soon after he left.

The next two days were filled with a black heaviness of self-loathing and depression which wrapped themselves around her tightly, leaving her empty and numb. The only breaks in her routine came from diminishing sporadic bouts of sobbing and anger followed by regret.

She was still prisoner to her hospital bed on the third day after waking. The nurses had been observing her closely, but infrequently, mainly replenishing her of severely needed water and other vital fluids. The doctor was in and out just a few times a day. He'd check her chart, mark something on the pad, glance at her cuffs, and leave.

She had exhausted herself in every possibly way, leaving her with the inability, or extreme disinterest, to interact with anyone or anything.

Despite her initial hatred for the detective, it was of minimal relief when the man showed himself again and dropped a bag of clothes onto the chair near her bed. He was, if nothing else, a means to free herself from her second prison within a week.

"Hi again, Riley. If you haven't guessed by the bag of clothes, you get out today. So, now's the time. I take you in, or I can take you home. Your choice."

"…and why would you take me in?"

"Because we don't know what happened there. It's a precaution."

Riley stared him down without a word and shook her cuffed wrist blatantly.

He stared back in thought for a moment before walking around to the other side of the bed. "I'll take them off. But I'll need your full cooperation, story and all."

She stayed silent which caused him to rethink his offer, but then proceeded anyway. He pulled out a key and undid the cuffs that were restraining her to the bed. She broke the glance between them and shifted it downward to watch her hand as she rotated it in a circle to release its stiffness.

"Fine."

The man exhaled out of relief. "Thank you. Get dressed and I'll take you home."

An hour later she was in the back of a cruiser in the middle of nowhere dressed in the generic shirt and skirt outfit that he brought her. The blood-soaked one she was wearing from that night was likely locked away in the back of a police station's evidence room by now.

She stared blankly at the world outside her window as it flowed by. The beginning of the spring season had begun to sprout new life, dots of green contrasted the white and brown of the land that winter had wrought.

Her exhaustion caught up to her and kept her asleep until a couple of hours later when the car hit a bump in the road. The vegetation had become sparser, chunks of it missing here and there to make space for, familiarly, shops and diners. Buildings came into view when the car took a turn down the road leading toward the city. The buildings elongated and stretched above them and out of their eyesight as they neared. And even though the sky was clear, it appeared grayer and duller than even on the stormiest of days.

The car came to a stop in front of an old building with some worn letters screwed into the brick above the doorway, 'Setter Road Apartments.'

She got out without a word and walked toward the door, stopping to turn around when the man in the car called out her name.

"I'll be by tomorrow to pick you up. Call me if you need anything."

She ignored him and turned back around and headed through the door. The inside hadn't changed, just as disgusting and torn up as when they left it. The staircase was scuffed and the walls were still covered in dirt and bits of graffiti.

She disregarded it all as she made her way back to the apartment door, but as soon as she reached it she stopped cold. Her stomach began to twist itself frenziedly and the numbness that had taken her over vanished and was replaced with an aggressive state of grief. She stood staring, unknowing what to do, when somehow her body managed to force its hand up to the door and fall against it twice.

A moment later Aiden's face appeared in the gap. "Riley!" He raised his voice in surprise. "One sec." He closed it and fully reopened it a second later. He was walking back to the couch when he announced her. "Mom, they're back."

She trudged in with almost no strength left in her legs and observed everyone in their usual spots.

"Hi, sweetheart. Sure took you guys a bit longer than you thought, huh?" Her brow dropped in confusion as Riley she stood alone in the middle of the room. "Where's your better half?"

That single innocent question was all it took to overwhelm Riley's best effort at holding herself together. Her eyes darted frantically as she threw her hand over her mouth with a whimper and ran into her room.

Marlene flinched as Riley slammed the door shut. "Did I say something wrong?"

She walked over to the door and slowly tried the knob which she found wasn't going to give. She put her ear against the door, held her breath, and was able to clearly hear an alternating series of muffled yelling and sobbing.

She pulled away and motioned for Aiden to go sit back down. She followed immediately after and took a spot next to him on the couch and across from the older man.

"I think something happened between the two of them. She'll talk when she's ready."

The day passed and the door remain closed and locked, leaving the other occupants in a lingering state of confusion.

Riley hadn't moved from the bed the entire time, unable to. She rested her head on Ellie's now damp pillow while staring out at the city lights that seemed far dimmer than usual. She turned onto her side and simply stared at the empty half of the bed before somehow managing to give in to sleep after hours of trying.

Her first night was impossible. The long accustomed to feeling and dependency of Ellie's touch was the only source of stability in her life, and with it gone she felt lost. Hopeless.

The second night was even harder to deal with. The third yet still. The morning after the third was of no relief either, but she hesitantly accepted that being reclusive was potentially only exacerbating the issue. And that, despite her extreme aversion for the option, talking might be of some help.

Marlene had been respectfully patient and hadn't said a word to Riley about whatever it was she was going through, nor the other housemates per her instruction, and ignored the discomfort it was causing. She knew something was serious but gave her time and space.

When she arrived home after work and took a seat to watch TV with Aiden and Joel, she observed Riley as she emerged from her room and stood just outside the door with pink tinted eyes and disheveled hair.

She perked up but remained cautious. "Hi, Riley."

Riley struggled with how to speak after days of silence but managed to force herself, albeit slowly. "I think… maybe, it might help if I talked."

The three of them, expecting silence, were all noticeably surprised by the words.

Riley nodded toward Marlene. "Just you… if that's okay."

Marlene looked at the other two before settling into Riley's gaze and nodding. "Yeah. Of course."

She pushed herself up and followed Riley into her room, closing the door behind her for privacy. She quickly scanned the room and found it a sty with clothes scattered across the floor and everything else in general disarray. Her focus shifted back to the distraught dark-skinned girl who was toying with half of the broken heart necklace.

"What would you like to talk about, sweetheart?"

Riley looked up at her from the edge of the bed, her heel bouncing just as chaotically as from that night. She was only able to keep her focus on Marlene for just a few seconds at a time. "It's Ellie. She's… um…"

Marlene waited for her to continue for a moment before softening her tone. "You can tell me anything. What is it?"

Riley thought she could hold herself together after the several days, even if for just a minute, and that she'd be able to talk about it. But that idea deteriorated instantly along with her control when she confronted the nightmare.

"Gone."

"Gone?"

"She's gone! I don't know what to do… I can't stop crying. It just keeps getting worse and worse and worse."

Marlene was surprised from the sudden jump from her mostly calm demeanor into what took her over. She motioned towards herself which Riley accepted without hesitation. She rubbed her back until the shallow convulsions subsided.

Riley slowly backed up while wiping her eyes and sniffling. "I miss her so much."

"Riley, you have to start over. Tell me what happened. What do you mean she's gone?"

"It was my fault… everything. It was all my fault."

"What was?"

"It was my fucking idea to go back there. Maybe if I had just listened or hadn't brought it up at all she wouldn't be…" She tried to stop herself from breaking down again as tears began running down her cheeks. "I can't do this. I can't. I told her that. I told her that I needed her, that she can't leave me. But she did. She did."

"Riley, please, just tell me."

"She's dead! Okay? She's dead and I'm never gonna see her again or talk to her… I…"

"…wait, what? Riley, are you serious?"

"I can't… I can't, I can't."

"Oh my god, Riley, I'm so sorry. What-"

"For the first time in my fucking miserable life I was happy. And even with all the shit that we went through, we were okay, like maybe life didn't have to suck. But now what's the point? What the hell is the point?"

"Riley."

"I'm serious!"

"…Riley, I don't-"

"This room, this place… this necklace. She's everywhere. I shouldn't have asked to talk to you, I'm sorry." She slid passed Marlene on her left and hurried out the door.

"Riley wait!" She turned around and followed her path back out through the main area. She saw Aiden standing at alert before heading out the door. "Stay there."

Marlene hustled down the dim hallway, past the scuffed up floors and torn up walls, and past the dragon lady hibernating in her cave. The sounds of cars and ambient city noise exploded as she opened the front door and walked out onto the sidewalk in front of the building. She shaded her eyes with her hand and turned her gaze in the direction of traffic flow but was unable to spot the girl. She jerked her head the other direction and spotted a figure rounding a corner some ways down.

She took a chance and hurried over in that direction and turned into an alleyway near where she saw it disappear into. She sighed in relief when she spotted the girl sitting against the wall with her face hidden behind her knees.

"There you are."

Riley watched silently with stained eyes from behind her hair.

"Riley, sweetheart, I'm so sorry." She exhaled and took a seat next to her on the ground and put an arm around her far shoulder.

They sat in silence until Riley seemed to eventually lose some of the strength in her grip and the atmosphere felt slightly more comfortable between the two.

"Nine years ago… nine years ago my husband died, when Aiden was still a baby. That was, by far, the hardest time in my life. I lost my best friend that day. And I know you probably don't want to hear this right now, but it takes time to get over loss of any kind. Let alone someone so close."

She started rubbing Riley's arm after she felt some of the tension return.

"I know you loved her, Riley. You two were inseparable, that was obvious. And it'll be hard for a while. It will, I'm not going to lie to you. But you'll get through it, I promise you." Marlene took a deep breath while searching for the right words. "My family was my biggest support after he passed… I don't know what I would've done without them. So I need you to know that I'm always here for you. No matter what, okay? We're gonna get through this. Together."

Riley sniffled again and raised her head out from behind her knees. "…I know."

Marlene sighed before letting her arm fall from around Riley. "So come on, let's go back upstairs and we'll talk some more." She smiled as empathetically as she could.

Riley shifted her eyes around the alley until they met back with Marlene's. "I think I need some air first…"

"You sure?"

"…yeah. I'll be up in a bit."

"Okay." Marlene pushed herself up to her feet. "You'll get through this, sweetheart. I'll be waiting inside." She smiled again before walking back around the corner of the alley.

Soon after Marlene disappeared back around the corner Riley struggled to her feet. She eyed the alley entrance and watched the people flow left and right in a staggered stream. Almost autonomously she soon joined them and trudged along the edge of the sidewalk while observing each face as they passed by. Every one of them was going about their daily monotony, most with a mannequin's expression plastered where their face should be, unchanging, and some incomprehensibly content.

She mindlessly wandered along the city's streets until eventually running across the small green park the two of them had slept in when they first arrived in the city. Her memories from that night, expectantly painful, surprisingly managed a slight smile out of her. It grew larger on her face like an infection with each passing second only to be replaced in an instant by desperation when she glanced down at the piece of metal in her hand.

She clenched the necklace and slowly walked up to where the sidewalk met the roaring street and stood teetering on its edge. Cars and trucks flew by just inches away, their gusts of wind causing her hair to wildly dance among the rustling leaves.

And though normally demoralizing, the world around her and its complete indifference as to her existence felt trivial while Ellie continued to dominate her mind. Whatever it was that made Riley, Riley, the freckled girl had taken with her.

The realization of pointlessness forced her gaze onto a semi-truck a dozen car lengths away down the road. She waited until it neared before stepping forward.


	42. Afterword

Afterword;

Don't read until you've finished the story!

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Don't hate me! Please. I'm already probably doing enough of that for both of us. I personally can't read chapter 40 without ending up as a complete mess. 41's no better.

So, from the moment I started writing this story I knew it would end the way it did. I guess I just really wanted to explore the aspect of the collapsing world of the lone survivor that the canon didn't get into. Obviously there were never going to be any rainbows in that world, but I feel it important to delve into nonetheless. Riley was chosen as that survivor for my story because I thought it would be more interesting to see how the "tougher" of the two still completely crumbled without the other.

The ending, again very sorry, is due to my really dark idea of beautiful. Riley was so connected to Ellie, their lives so fully and completely entwined, that as soon as the connection between them was severed, life itself ceased to have purpose. Life was Ellie essentially. It's also (again, super dark I know) what I expected/kind of wanted for the ending of Left Behind, the two going out together. This is, of course, my own personal view on the entire thing. You're free to disagree.

The story was always going to have one of the girls dying, which is my interpreted equivalence of them being "bitten". So why weren't both bitten like canon? Well, since I wanted to stick with realism, I couldn't have them both injected with the poison due to its... effectiveness. There would've been no capability of being immune to it, thus ending the story a chapter sooner. Which I didn't want to do.

Lastly, sorry I didn't give more time to other characters, e.g. Tess or Joel. Their purpose was always going to be to move along the girl's story. But, in fairness, I think I gave quite a few characters their share of plot: Ethan, James, Marlene, Tess, Henry, Sam, Tino, David, etc. I wanted to add in more, like Bill and Robert, but I couldn't find the right places for them. I also personally wanted more of David since I loved his way of talking, which was incredibly enjoyable to write, but it is what it is.

So I think that's about it for my comments on the ending chapters and overall. In general, if anyone is interested, there were a lot of references and inspirations I drew from. I can't remember them all, I'm sure there's more, but here are some:

-The refuge and Henry's character, as mentioned, are based on "The Killing".  
-Their homeless camp under the highway was based on the one from "Beyond: Two Souls".  
-I also got Aiden's name from Beyond.  
-The scene where Riley was locked in the basement and restricted to the chair was actually based on a real orphanage practice I read about. Really fucked up place. (If you didn't know, orphanages have had a really disturbing history, which is probably why there's almost none left in America (they were converted))  
-The idea of David's "scientific endeavors" was inspired by Unit 731. If you want to be absolutely horrified in what humanity is capable of look this up. It makes David seem like an absolute saint.  
-Riley's suicide at the end was not based Leelah Alcorn's (in case you've heard of her), but as soon as I read about it and their almost identicalness, my heart sank. It really screwed me up for the rest of the week.

Guess I'm going to end on that depressing note... Overall, I hope you enjoyed it (as much as you can for this kind of story). This is the first time I've ever written a story, but hopefully that it wasn't super obvious. I've always wanted to write something but I never had the inspiration to do so until I finished Left Behind. So huge kudos to Naughty Dog. Fucking love those guys.

If you have any questions (or hate mail), please feel free to ask, either in a pm or review. I don't plan on doing any other stories for anything, but if I do, they won't be for some time.

-Jess


	43. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I just found this little section I wrote some time ago but had completely forgotten about. It was going to be a bittersweet epilogue, but ultimately I chose to leave it out (which I'm still fine with). But, with that said, I might as well publish it now since it's already been written. The ending in Ch. 41 still remains the original ending, and is officially concluded there, but this can be thought of, like I said, as an epilogue.

Epilogue;

-two months prior

.-~-.

It was midday and the girls were alone in the small grungy apartment relaxing on the sun-lit couch. Riley was sitting upright on the side nearest the window while Ellie was lying sideways with her head on Riley's lap and her legs hanging off the arm rest. Riley was absentmindedly brushing her fingers through Ellie's hair while she watched the TV, Ellie herself staring at the ceiling with her eyes closed content with the feeling against the top of her head.

"You ever think about us?" Ellie spoke to the air with her eyes still closed.

Riley was pulled out of her trance only briefly and made her realize the show she was watching was on commercial. She raised the remote and started flipping through channels. "I think about you."

Ellie opened her eyes and looked at the other girl who was still focused on the other side of the room. "Not really what I meant."

"Then?"

"Like us together… as a couple."

Riley's brow scrunched together as she turned down the volume. She dropped the remote onto the sofa table and tilted her head forward to meet Ellie's gaze. "I guess not really. Why?"

"Just thinking really. I mean, we live day in and day out here, doing the same things just trying to keep from drowning."

"Not like we have much of a choice."

"I know. I just- my point is that we've never given much thought toward anything beyond the current day. Let alone the future."

"True." Riley let out a scoff then returned her focus downwards. "I assume you would like to."

Ellie nodded her head with a serious demeanor prompting Riley to forego the teasing she was about to enact.

"Shoot."

"Okay." Ellie let her smile fade before closing her eyes again. "I have a couple of kind of… big things to talk about afterwards, but for now I just want to know what you think we're gonna do with our lives after this."

"Oh wow. That wasn't one of the big things, huh?" Riley let silence overtake them for a moment while the question ran through her mind. "Well, I just kinda figured once we've saved up enough money we'd get our own place together. Get some jobs so that we can actually afford to. Stuff like that I guess."

"Where would we live?"

"Umm… in a little apartment in a different city. A lot nicer than this one."

"I don't think that'd work with Bella."

"Bella?"

"Our terrier. Did I not mention her?"

Riley let out a chuckle that jostled Ellie in her lap. "I think I would've remembered that."

"Well she's non-negotiable."

A car horn from the street suddenly crept its way in through the gaps along the outer edges of the room's looming window. It travelled from one side of the building to the next, clearly its owner letting another know of their frustration. The noise dissipated and was soon again taken over by slight breathing and the low static of the TV.

Riley started running her fingers through Ellie's hair again. "Guess that means no apartment."

"I'd love to live in a townhome. I think they're so cool looking. Plus it'd have a yard for Bella."

"You mean those houses that are all cramped up against each other?"

"Mm-hmm."

Riley stopped momentarily to poke Ellie in the forehead. "You brought this up. What's your plan?"

"Pretty much the same. Except we'd get married."

Riley's eyes widened from her nonchalance and she unintentionally stopped moving her hand. "Married?"

"Yeah." A smirk found its way to Ellie's face as she kept her eyes closed. "You're not planning on running away from me are ya?"

"Well no, but I just never thought about… that before."

"I get it. It's a big deal."

Riley reached off to her side and grabbed the remote yet again, the channel she had stopped on was hissing out an infomercial. She muted it completely and let the sounds between them and the road noise take control of the air again.

"Yeah, it kinda is. But I'm gonna go ahead and bet you already have it all planned out, don't you?"

Ellie grinned and dug her head into a more comfortable position against Riley's stomach. "Absolutely. Want to hear?"

"Why not? This should be interesting."

"Okay, here's how it would go. I'd take you out for a nice dinner at some fancy French restaurant whose name is impossible to pronounce. Then we'd go to the movies to see some sappy romantic flick, or possibly an action one, depends on how the night feels. Regardless, we'd sit in the back and just snuggle together. After the movie was over we'd finish the night off by going back to our place where I would've secretly had a friend set up flowers and candles, maybe some music."

"This is amazing."

"Hush, not done yet. We'd walk in and then you'd be all surprised and be like, 'Oh, Ellie, this is so beautiful.' Then you'd get all teary because by this point I'd already be down on one knee holding out a ring. You'd say yes, then bam, before you know it we're on a cliff next to the ocean getting married with doves flying overhead."

Riley's mouth was hanging wide open by the time Ellie had finished her rapid delivery of their future, the right corner of which was pulled upwards into a half-smile. "Oh… my god. Well, if there's one thing I can't say about you is that you're not a romantic. Perhaps a little much though."

"Was it the doves? The doves were too much weren't they?"

"Among other things." Riley laughed and leaned downward to kiss the girl smiling childishly back at her. "I love you. You're so fucking awesome. Though I am kind of upset you ruined the surprise."

"I'll think of something else. Perhaps a little less over the top. We'll see."

"Perhaps." Riley slid her feet outwards and then rested them on top of the middle table. "So, what were the big things you wanted to talk about?"

"Well, the marriage thing was one of them." She looked back up Riley with an honestly concerned expression. "You do want to get married... right?"

"Of course I do."

"You sure?"

"Of course. There's no one else I'd rather spend my life with."

Ellie's expression quickly shifted into contentment. They grinned at each other until Ellie managed her words through her lips. "The second is... and don't be weird."

Riley arched her brow as if being accused. "I'm never weird."

"You kinda were with the marriage thing."

"I wasn't weird… just surprised. Come on, try me."

Ellie sighed and raised her eyebrows. "Alright. Kids."

Riley let out a surprised chuckle. "Kids? As in children?"

"You're doing it again."

"No I'm not. Besides, you're hitting me with some heavy stuff. Give me some slack."

"Alright, alright. Sorry."

Riley mulled it over, as she did before, though this time with Ellie waiting anxiously for her response. "I don't think having kids would quite work with us to be honest."

"…what?" A knot quickly developed in Ellie's stomach with the unexpected admission. "Why not?"

Riley's neutral appearance gave way to an obvious smirk. "Physically?"

Ellie huffed and punched her in the arm after the joke sank in. "Don't be a smartass. You know what I mean."

"Couldn't resist, sorry." She started messing with the hair in her lap again. "I don't know. I haven't thought about it much."

"Would you ever want to?"

"Well yeah, sure. Some day." She sighed and let the idea have some freedom. "Suppose it'd have to be an orphan wouldn't it?"

"Given our background, probably. Though adopting from elsewhere wouldn't be out of the question." Ellie turned her head when she heard Riley scoff. "What?"

"Mother Nature's kind of an asshole, isn't she?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, for starters, she makes us gay. So immediately we have to deal with society shitting on us. Then, when we do want them, we're screwed for kids. Totally not fair. We didn't even get a say in the matter."

"We really did get the short end of the stick, didn't we? Quite a few sticks actually." Ellie sighed before rolling her head back and closing her eyes. "Amy."

"What?"

"If it's a girl, we'll name her Amy."

"Amy, huh? I've always liked Hannah personally."

"That's pretty too. What about for a boy?"

Riley let her head fall back against the couch with a yawn and let her focus settle in on nothing. "No idea. Not really fond of the idea of having a boy."

"No? You'd rather deal with a mini version of us in the future?"

"At least we would have the experience."

"That's true. Well in that case little Amy or Hannah will be in good hands. Well... my hands at least."

"Your hands? Please. You'd end up getting her taken away when the police find out you've been feeding her only potato chips and candy."

"What? No way. I grew up with that stuff and I turned out fine." Riley burst out in a laugh which quickly resulted in a punch to her arm. "You're an ass."

"I know. I know." She took a deep breath as her laughter subsided. "Anyway, any more 'big questions'?"

"Not right now."

"Good, 'cause I don't know if I can take anymore of those."

"You did fine. And thanks for… indulging me with all that."

"Pretty sure I did more than just that. I actually think I agreed to marry you somewhere in there."

"Like you had a choice."

"Yeah I guess not."

Ellie laughed and rolled her head back to look up at the girl looking down at her with the same stupid smile already plastered on her own face. "I know I say it a lot but I love you."

"I love you too. And don't worry about this stuff too much. We've got our entire lives to figure it all out."

Riley leaned over to press her lips against the freckled girl's once more before she grabbed the remote from the table and switched back on the volume for the television. Ellie cuddled up against Riley as much as she could and watched contently as she started switching through the channels.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was supposed to reflect how I felt when Ellie was telling Riley pun jokes from that book she had given her when they were on the the carousel. It was a nice light-hearted scene but then the music kicked in and my heart sank remembering what the future held for them. Hopefully it came across that way and, based on some feedback, it seems like it did.
> 
> This is my final, final farewell. Thanks again for involving yourself in my/their story and I wish you all the best.


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